Because the current installers do not carry a paid developer certificate, your operating system shows a security warning the first time you open them.
🍏 How to open it on macOS
The first time you open the app, macOS shows a message saying:
«cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software».
How to solve it (once and for all):
- Open System Settings on your Mac.
- Go to Privacy & Security.
- Scroll down to the Security section and click Open Anyway.
- Confirm with your password or Touch ID.
Important on macOS 15 (Sequoia) and later: On those versions the old right-click → Open shortcut no longer works. You have to authorize it from System Settings → Privacy & Security.
🔐 The Keychain will ask for permission: choose «Always Allow»
The first time you open each version, macOS shows a Keychain dialog asking for access to «PilotControl Safe Storage». That is PilotControl protecting your machine's identity with the system encryption, and it happens before the window appears: if the dialog is left waiting, the app looks like it will not open.
Choose «Always Allow» and type your Mac password if it asks. Plain «Allow» also works, but it asks again every time.
If you choose «Deny», the app does not open and shows a startup notice. It is not a bug: PilotControl would rather not start than store your machine's identity unprotected. Open it again and authorize. The dialog can come back with each new version, until the installers are signed.
🪟 How to open it on Windows
When you run the installer on Windows, SmartScreen shows a blue screen saying:
«Windows protected your PC».
How to continue:
- Click More info in the explanation text.
- Click the Run anyway button that appears at the bottom.
💾 Updates and your data
Installing a new version of PilotControl over the existing one keeps all of your data intact: linked accounts, scheduled posts, statistics history and configured automations. You never lose your local data by updating.