Install and Open MyPassRecovery on macOS

MyPassRecovery for macOS is currently distributed without Apple notarization. macOS Gatekeeper may therefore block the downloaded app or display an alert such as “MyPassRecovery” is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to the Trash. On a Chinese-language Mac, the same warning may appear as “MyPassRecovery” 已损坏，无法打开。您应该将它移到废纸篓。 A similar alert can also mean that an app is genuinely incomplete, corrupted, or modified, so do not bypass the warning automatically.

Safety Check Before You Continue

  1. Download MyPassRecovery only from the official MyPassRecovery website or a download link supplied directly by MyPassRecovery support.
  2. Delete unexpected copies received through email, chat, forums, file-sharing sites, or search advertisements.
  3. If MyPassRecovery publishes an SHA-256 checksum, compare it with the downloaded installer before opening it:
shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/MyPassRecovery.dmg
  1. If the warning says the app will damage your computer, macOS reports known malware, or the file has an unexpected name or size, stop and contact MyPassRecovery support. Do not run the commands below.

Apple explains that macOS checks Developer ID signatures and notarization, and warns that overriding these protections can expose a Mac to malware. See Apple's guidance on safely opening Mac apps and Apple's explanation of modified or damaged apps.

Recommended Method: Open Anyway in System Settings

After confirming that the app came from the official source:

  1. Drag MyPassRecovery.app into the Applications folder.
  2. Try to open it once, then close the warning.
  3. Choose Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security.
  4. Scroll to Security, find the message about MyPassRecovery, and click Open Anyway.
  5. Enter the administrator password or use Touch ID, then confirm Open.

Apple notes that the Open Anyway option is normally available for about one hour after an attempted launch. This creates an exception only for that app. See Open a Mac app from an unknown developer.

If macOS Still Says the App Is Damaged

Use this fallback only after MyPassRecovery support confirms that the download is authentic and intact. Open Terminal and first check whether the app has a quarantine attribute:

xattr -p com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/MyPassRecovery.app"

If the attribute is present, remove only that attribute from this specific app bundle:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/MyPassRecovery.app"

If the downloaded app bundle has a different name, replace the quoted path with its actual .app path. To avoid typing mistakes, type xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine (including the final space), drag the app from Finder into the Terminal window, and then press Return.

Then Control-click MyPassRecovery.app in Finder, choose Open, and confirm the prompt. The xattr -d option removes a named extended attribute and -r applies the operation within the app bundle; see the macOS xattr manual.

Do not use sudo spctl --master-disable, do not disable Gatekeeper globally, and do not clear quarantine attributes from the whole Downloads or Applications folder. If the targeted command does not solve the problem, delete the app, download a fresh copy from the official source, and contact MyPassRecovery support.

macOS Interface and Screenshot Note

The screenshots below are reused from the Windows guide because the MyPassRecovery document-processing workflow is the same: sign in, select the protected file, wait for analysis, submit or save the result, and verify the output. Window controls, file-picker appearance, fonts, and paths may look different on macOS. Follow the labels in your installed macOS build when a screen differs.

Page Summary

When a PDF file has editing restriction enabled, you may be able to open and read the file, but editing, printing, copying, or commenting may be limited. This guide shows how to use MyPassRecovery Desktop to remove PDF editing restriction by importing the protected PDF, analyzing the permission restriction, saving the unrestricted output file, and confirming that the new PDF can be edited, printed, or copied according to the removed permissions.

What Is PDF Editing Restriction?

PDF editing restriction is a permission setting that limits what users can do with a PDF file. A PDF with editing restriction may still open normally, but editing tools, printing, copying, page extraction, or annotation may be disabled.

MyPassRecovery Desktop can handle PDF files protected by permission passwords or editing restriction. When the software recognizes this protection type, it can remove the editing restriction and generate a new PDF output file without the previous permission limits.

When to Use This Guide

Use this guide when a PDF opens successfully but cannot be edited, printed, copied, or modified because of editing restriction.

  • The PDF opens, but editing is blocked.
  • The PDF has printing, copying, or commenting limitations.
  • The permission password for removing PDF editing restriction is not available.
  • You need a new PDF file without editing restriction.

When This Guide Does Not Apply

If the PDF asks for a password before opening, it is a PDF open password recovery case, not an editing restriction removal case. If the PDF is damaged, incomplete, or locked by operating system permissions, that problem is not PDF editing restriction.

Before You Start

Before removing editing restriction, prepare MyPassRecovery Desktop and the protected PDF file. Close the PDF in other viewers before importing it into the software.

  1. Install MyPassRecovery Desktop. The free quick check does not require sign-in; sign in only when submitting a subscribed cloud-recovery task.
  2. Prepare a PDF file with editing restriction or permission restriction.
  3. Place the PDF in a local folder, such as ~/Documents/MyPassRecovery/PDF Editing Restriction/.
  4. Close Adobe Acrobat, WPS PDF, or any other viewer that is using the file.

Operation Steps

Step 1: Open MyPassRecovery Desktop

Open MyPassRecovery Desktop and make sure the app is online; sign in only if you are submitting a subscribed cloud-recovery task. The client should be online and ready to analyze the PDF before you remove editing restriction.

Step 1: Open MyPassRecovery Desktop

Step 1: Open MyPassRecovery Desktop

Step 2: Import the PDF File with Editing Restriction

In the Document Processing area, click the file selection button and choose the PDF file that has editing restriction. After import, MyPassRecovery Desktop reads the path and identifies the file type and permission protection method.

Step 2: Import the PDF file with editing restriction

Step 2: Import the PDF file with editing restriction

Step 3: Wait for Editing Restriction Analysis

After the file is imported, MyPassRecovery Desktop checks whether the PDF contains editing restriction, a permission password, an open password, or another protection type. For a PDF that only has editing restriction, the client should indicate that the protection can be removed directly.

Step 3: The software detects PDF editing restriction

Step 3: The software detects PDF editing restriction

Step 4: Remove the Editing Restriction

After the software identifies PDF editing restriction, click Save or the available removal button. MyPassRecovery Desktop generates a new PDF output file without the previous editing restriction.

Step 5: Open the Output PDF

Open the new output PDF and confirm the result. Depending on the original permission settings, the output PDF should allow editing, printing, copying, or other actions that were previously blocked by editing restriction.

Result

After the process is complete, the original PDF remains unchanged, and MyPassRecovery Desktop creates a new PDF file with the editing restriction removed. Use the output PDF when you need to continue editing, printing, or copying content.