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Do you wish to know? How to enable and Activate Kernel Extensions on Apple Silicon Macs? Then you should read this. With the release of Apple silicon (M1) devices, Apple has changed MDM permissions when enrolling a device outside of Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager. You can also go to the official Apple support site for more information about Kernel Extensions.
When a device is added through an Enrollment Profile or BYOD, a warning message will appear in the Profiles section of System Preferences. Kernel extensions (KEXTs) let users install app extensions that can add to what the operating system can do on its own. These extensions can get to parts of the operating system that regular programmes can’t get to. They run code at the kernel level and can change the core OS parts that an application needs to run.
Ways to Enable and Activate Kernel Extensions on Apple Silicon Macs
Allow Kernel Extensions
- Select Utilities > Startup Security Utility from the menu bar.
- Select your startup disk and select the Security Policy button.
- Select the radio button next to Reduced Security. Then, check the box next to Allow user management of kernel extensions from identified developers.
- Select OK. Enter your Mac’s administrator password and select Continue.
- Open the Apple menu, select Restart, and let your Mac boot normally.
Activate Kernel Extensions
- Open the System Preferences app and select Security & Privacy.
- Select the Lock icon and enter your Mac’s administrator password.
- Select Allow.
- Select Restart.
- Wait until your Mac finishes rebooting.
Enter macOS Recovery
- Turn off your Mac.
- Turn it back on, but keep holding down the Power button until you see Loading startup options flash on the screen.
- Wait until you get to the Startup Options screen.
- Select Options > Continue.
- Select your Mac’s administrator account and enter the password to load macOS Recovery.
FAQ
How do I enable system extensions on Mac kernel?
From the menu bar, choose Utilities > Startup Security Utility. Choose your startup disc and click the Security Policy button. Choose the radio button next to Less Secure. Then, click the box next to Allow user management of kernel extensions from identified developers.
How do I allow third-party extensions on my Mac?
From the “System Preferences” window, choose “Security & Privacy.” Select the “General” tab and unlock the lock in the lower left corner to make changes. Type in your username and password, and then click “Unlock.” Select the radio button to the left of “Anywhere” in the “Allow apps to be downloaded from:” section.
Where are Mac kernel extensions?
Where can you find Kexts? There are two places on your Mac where you can find kexts. The main place where kexts live is in the “System/Library/Extensions” directory. Some are also in the “/Library/Extensions” folder, but that’s less common.
Why does my Mac say system extension blocked?
You may be asked by the alert to open the Security and Privacy settings to allow the extension. Your Mac may also need to be restarted. If the extension needs to be updated or won’t work with a future version of macOS, the alert may tell you to contact the developer for help.