Notarization

Notarization is Apple's automated security review for macOS software distributed outside the Mac App Store. You upload your signed app to Apple, their systems scan it for malware and check its code signature and hardened-runtime settings, and Apple issues a "ticket" that gets stapled into the app.

Since macOS Catalina, Gatekeeper expects it: a signed-but-unnotarized app still triggers the "Apple could not verify this app is free of malware" dialog. Signed and notarized apps open cleanly, even offline, thanks to the stapled ticket.

Notarization is not App Review - no human looks at your app, there are no content guidelines, and results typically come back in minutes. It's a malware gate, not a quality gate.

The practical requirements: an Apple Developer account, a Developer ID certificate, hardened runtime enabled, and a submission step in your build pipeline. Deskifier's macOS builds are notarized and stapled automatically.