Some Mac users have said that they could not open their apps on the Mac. Users have said that they get the following error message when they want to open the apps:
You can’t open the application "app name" because it may be damaged or incomplete.
It seems that several apps including Spotify, Safari, Microsoft Office, App Store, Photos, Chrome, iMovie, and more, were affected by this issue and they were crashing whenever launched on Macs.
If you are experiencing this problem, here is what you can do:
Update macOS
The first thing you should do to fix this problem is to update your Mac to the latest version of macOS. Updating your Mac will also update built-in apps (Safari, Photos, Terminal, etc) and apps that were downloaded from the Mac App Store. On your Mac, click the Apple menu in the corner of your screen and choose System Settings. Click General in the sidebar, then click Software Update on the right. If there is an update available, click the Update Now or Upgrade Now button.
If you are having this problem with a third-party app that was not downloaded from the App Store, ensure that they are up to date. To update these apps, the update process may be different depending on the app. Most apps include a "Check for Updates" option in their menu bar. If you are not sure how you can update, contact the third-party app’s developer.
Reboot your Mac in Safe Mode
Use Safe Mode and test your problem. Restart your Mac in Safe Mode and check to see if the problem happens in Safe Mode. Here is how:
- Startup your Mac in Safe Mode:
- Click Apple menu > About This Mac > Overview. You will see an item labeled Chip. Does it say "Apple" or "Intel"?
- If it is Intel: Shut down your Mac (ensure that your Mac is fully turned off), then turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the Shift key until you see the login window. Then log in.
- If it is Apple: Shut down your Mac and wait for your Mac to fully shut off. Then press and hold the power button until you see "Loading startup options." Select your startup disk (usually Macintosh HD). Press and hold the Shift key, click Continue in Safe Mode, then release the Shift key.
- In Safe Mode, try to open the app that you could not open previously. Can you open the app?
- Exit Safe Mode. You can exit this mode by restarting your Mac normally.
- Test your problem again.
Clear System Caches and Temporary Files
Some users have reported that clearing system caches resolves this problem. Rather than manually deleting system folders—which can damage your macOS installation—use Safe Mode to clear caches safely. When you start up in Safe Mode, macOS automatically clears font caches, kernel caches, and other system cache files, then rebuilds them as needed.
If you prefer to restart normally instead of using Safe Mode, a standard restart also triggers macOS to clean out temporary items and caches in system-managed locations. For most users, this is sufficient to resolve cache-related issues.
Alternative Solution: Clear App Attributes
If the issue persists with a specific third-party app, the problem may be related to extended attributes or quarantine flags. You can clear these using Terminal:
- Open Terminal (located in Applications > Utilities).
- Type the following command, replacing "AppName" with the actual name of your application:
sudo xattr -cr /Applications/AppName.app - Press Enter and enter your administrator password when prompted.
- Try opening the app again.
This command removes quarantine and other extended attributes that may cause macOS to incorrectly flag the app as damaged.
Re-download the Application
If none of the above solutions helped you, the application files may be genuinely corrupted. Delete the app by dragging it to the Trash, then download a fresh copy from the Mac App Store or the developer’s official website. Ensure you download from a trusted source to avoid security risks.
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