Fix "Apple Could Not Verify Pluely" Error on macOS

If macOS shows a warning like "Apple could not verify 'Pluely' is free of malware" or "'Pluely' cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software," this is a standard Gatekeeper message — not a sign that anything is actually wrong with the app. It appears because Pluely v1 is distributed directly from pluely.com rather than through the Mac App Store, and macOS is cautious by default about software from outside that store. Pluely is safe to open; below are three ways to do it.

Why this happens

Apps distributed outside the Mac App Store don't automatically get the same trust flag that App Store apps carry. When you first download and try to open such an app, macOS's Gatekeeper feature blocks the launch and shows this warning as a caution step, not a malware detection. This is expected behavior for legitimate independent software, including Pluely v1, and only needs to be cleared once per install.

Option 1: Right-click and Open

This is the simplest method and works on every recent macOS version.

1. Open Finder and go to Applications.
2. Find Pluely, but instead of double-clicking, right-click (or Control-click) on it.
3. Choose Open from the context menu.
4. macOS will show the same warning, but this time with an Open button available directly in the dialog. Click Open.
5. Pluely will launch, and macOS remembers this choice — future launches work with a normal double-click.

Option 2: Allow it from Privacy & Security settings

If the right-click method doesn't show an Open button, or you already dismissed the warning once:

1. Try opening Pluely normally (double-click) — it will be blocked again.
2. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security.
3. Scroll down past the main privacy toggles to the Security section near the bottom.
4. You'll see a message noting that Pluely was blocked, with an "Open Anyway" button next to it.
5. Click Open Anyway, then confirm in the follow-up dialog.
6. Pluely will launch normally from now on.

Option 3: Clear the quarantine flag from Terminal

If you're comfortable with Terminal, you can clear the "downloaded from the internet" attributes macOS attaches to the app. This is the one-line fix the Pluely community shared in the project's macOS issue — many users confirmed it works when the menu steps don't.

1. Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal, or search with Spotlight).

2. Run this command, adjusting the path if Pluely isn't in the default Applications folder:

   xattr -cr /Applications/Pluely.app

3. Press Return, then open Pluely normally — it should launch without the warning.

If Terminal replies with "Operation not permitted," give Terminal permission to modify the app and use the quarantine-specific command instead:

1. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access and enable Terminal.

2. Quit and reopen Terminal.

3. Run:

   sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Pluely.app

4. Enter your Mac password when prompted (it stays hidden as you type), then open Pluely:

   open /Applications/Pluely.app

Prefer to clear it before installing?

You can also run the same command against the downloaded disk image before you drag Pluely into Applications — replace the filename with the version you downloaded:

xattr -cr ~/Downloads/Pluely_0.1.9_aarch64.dmg

This only needs to happen once

Whichever method you use, macOS remembers that you've approved Pluely, so you won't see this warning again for that installation. If you reinstall or update Pluely by replacing the app entirely (rather than through its own updater), you may occasionally need to repeat one of these steps.

Still stuck?

If Pluely still won't open after trying these steps, confirm you downloaded it from the official Installation page rather than a mirrored or re-packaged copy, then check the FAQ or reach out from the Pluely website.