FAQs on blocklisting/allowlisting apps on macOS devices

1. What are blocklisting and allowlisting?

App blocklisting involves blocking specific applications from running on macOS devices, while app allowlisting allows only approved applications to run; any other apps not on the approved list will be restricted and won’t be accessible on the device.

2. When I allowlisted an app that is present on the device and tried to open it, a “screen time” prompt showed up and started looping. Why did this happen?

This may happen if you don’t provide the path to the app on the device. If you want to allowlist an app that is present on the device, then you should specify the file path to the app on the device.
To specify the file path, go to Policies > macOS > Blocklist/Allowlist > Allowlist > then click +Add.
Choose the app from the device, enter the “App name”, and provide the path of the app on the device under “Specify the file path to the app on the device.”

3. What will happen if I blocklist and allowlist the same app?

If you blocklist and allowlist the same app, then blocklisting will precede.

4. Can I allowlist/blocklist enterprise apps?

Yes, you can allowlist/blocklist enterprise apps. However, you cannot add enterprise apps that are uploaded as DMG files to the policy. DMG files will not be included in the app list under the policy, and the user cannot add them to the policy since the app identifier or bundle identifier cannot be collected for the apps that are uploaded as DMG files.

5. What happens if I try to install a blocklisted app on my macOS device?

The application gets installed. But when you try to access the application, your device will display a prompt stating, “Your organization has blocked access to ‘app name’. Please contact your administrator for more information.”

6. After blocklisting an app, I’m getting infinite “blocked app” pop-ups. How do I solve this issue?

On macOS devices, some system apps, like Siri and Finder, continuously reload and run in the background. Attempts to blocklist these apps cause the device to constantly display pop-ups that say, “Blocked Access.” The problem can be resolved by restarting the device after removing the blocklist policy.

7. Can I blocklist/allowlist system apps?

Yes, you can blocklist/allowlist system apps on macOS devices.