Guides
Opening Helicon the first time on macOS
The macOS DMG is updater signed but not Apple notarized yet, so Gatekeeper blocks the first launch. On macOS 15 or later, open Helicon once and click Done, then go to System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down, click Open Anyway and enter your password. On macOS 14 or earlier, right click the app and choose Open. Or run xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Helicon.app in Terminal. macOS remembers the decision and every later launch is normal. Notarization is a known gap, not a policy.
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What the warning means
Gatekeeper distinguishes between signed and notarized. The Helicon DMG is signed for the updater but has not gone through Apple notarization, so macOS shows the unverified developer dialog the first time. Since macOS 15 (Sequoia), right click then Open no longer gets past it; the way through is Open Anyway in Privacy & Security. It is not a statement about the binary being unsafe, and the source for it is public.
The fix
- Drag Helicon into Applications.
- Open it once. When macOS warns you, click Done.
- Open System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway, then enter your password.
- Launch normally from then on.
On macOS 14 or earlier, right click Helicon in Applications and choose Open instead.
Or use Terminal
This removes the quarantine flag macOS put on the download, so the warning never appears:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Helicon.appOpen Helicon for the first time on macOS
Drag Helicon into Applications. The standard macOS install step.
Open it once and click Done. On macOS 15 or later the warning only offers Done and Move to Trash.
Click Open Anyway. In System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down, click Open Anyway and enter your password. On macOS 14 or earlier, right click the app and choose Open instead.
Launch normally. macOS remembers, so later launches do not warn.
Frequently asked questions
Will the builds be notarized?
Notarization is a known gap rather than a decision. Until then, Open Anyway in Privacy & Security (or the xattr command) gets you past the warning.
Is the app signed at all?
Yes, it is updater signed, which is what makes auto update work. Apple notarization is the separate step.
Does this affect auto update?
No. Updates arrive through the app's own updater.
Keep reading
- macOSHelicon on Mac: a free desktop app for the Muse Code CLI, with a DMG for Apple Silicon, one for Intel and a universal one. Auto update and a one-time Open Anyway step.
- macOS power usersSeveral repositories, several threads, and a history that outlives the terminal. A DMG for each Mac chip, a session sidebar, inline diffs and a cost view.
- Move from the terminalYou do not have to choose. Sessions started in the terminal show up in Helicon, resume there, and the CLI keeps working exactly as before.
- Muse Code approval promptsHelicon marks Muse Code threads that wait on an approval and shows the real command before it runs. Here is why I built it that way.
- Attach screenshots to Muse CodePaste, drop or pick up to 10 files per Muse Code prompt in Helicon. Images go straight to the model; other files land in your project for the agent to read.
- Muse Code pricingMuse Code pricing as Meta lists it: four monthly plans from $5 to $200, per-token Model API rates and no free tier. Helicon, the desktop client, adds no cost.
Same Muse Code. Same subscription. Better interface.
Free and MIT licensed. Windows installer, Apple Silicon, Intel and universal macOS DMGs, and a web build against a daemon you run.