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Sequoia for the notarized
DEVELOPERS WERE ASKED to notarize their apps six years ago so they’d be more secure when distributed outside the App Store. Until macOS Sequoia, there was no pressure for them to do so, as you can always launch an app that isn’t notarized using the Finder’s Open command.
Sequoia changes that: any app downloaded from outside the App Store that isn’t notarized now requires a trip to System > Privacy & Security to authorize it individually. This only applies to apps you’ve downloaded ready–built; any you build yourself can still be signed locally, although moving them via AirDrop puts them into quarantine, the same as if they’d been downloaded.
What might seem like another added nuisance brings better protection against malware, as macOS checks notarized apps more robustly before they’re run.