How to enable system extensions on your Mac

One of the features of Apple silicon systems on a chip like the M1, M2, and M3 is that they have robust security by default. For example, they have a signed system volume that prevents access to or the execution of system files that don’t have a cryptographic signature from Apple. This means that even if you set your Mac to allow apps to be installed from trusted developers whose code is signed, you may not be able to install system extensions required by an application. That’s usually because the apps use kernel extensions (kext files), which Apple refers to as legacy system extensions. In that case, you’ll need to modify your Mac’s security

settings. In this article, we’ll show you how to enable system extensions on your Mac.

Why enable system extensions?

Occasionally, when you try to install an app from a trusted developer, you will get a warning message telling you that the app tried to install a system extension but was blocked. That’s because the extension was a legacy system extension, and they are now blocked by default on

Macs with Apple silicon. In order to use the app, you will need to enable the system extension.

How to keep Mac in shape

If you install lots of applications on your Mac and use them often, you will quickly build up a collection of what we call system junk. The junk in question is composed of files placed on your Mac by apps and left there even when you delete the app. They could be temporary files that were supposed to be deleted but weren’t, cache files, settings, and even files put there by macOS, like language files for languages you don’t use. These junk files accumulate quickly and can take up lots of space on your Mac, as well as cause problems like apps running slowly or crashing. It’s a good idea to clear them out once in a while. It’s also a good idea to perform regular maintenance on your Mac, like running macOS maintenance scripts and freeing up RAM.

Doing all that yourself would be very time-consuming, and that’s where CleanMyMac X can help. It has System Junk and Maintenance modules that do all the hard work for you and help you keep your Mac free from junk and running smoothly. You can download CleanMyMac X for free here and then maintain your Mac with just a few clicks.

How to enable system extensions on your Mac

To enable system extensions on your Mac, you will need to reboot into recovery mode and use the Startup Security Utility.

1. Click the Apple menu and choose Shut Down.
2. Press and hold the power button on your Mac until you see Loading Startup Options.
3. Choose Options, then click Continue.
   

   

4. Select your startup disk, then click Next.
5. Type in your administrator password and click Continue.
6. Click Utilities in the menu bar and choose Startup Security Utility.
7. Select your boot disk and click Security Policy.
8. Select the button next to Reduced Security.
   

   

9. Select the box next to Allow user management of kernel extensions from identified developers.
10. Click OK.
11. Click the user pop-up menu and choose your administrator account. Then type in the password and click OK.
12. Click the Apple menu and choose Restart.

When your Mac restarts, you may see a dialog box telling you that a System Extension was blocked. If so, click Open Security Settings. In System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down to the Security section and click Allow next to the message telling you system software was blocked from loading.

Macs with Apple silicon have improved security to prevent changes being made to system volume. That means that some legacy system extensions, known as kernel extensions or kext files, won’t run by default. To use applications that rely on these files, you will need to first enable system extensions by making changes to the security settings on your Mac. Follow the steps above to do that and enable system extensions so you can continue to use those applications.