Gatekeeper vs. Awesome Portfolio Websites: A 40-Minute macOS Permission Battle

Hey,

So, yesterday I went down a small rabbit hole with something called Awesome Portfolio Websites (app) from NimbusApps. The slug didn’t give much away, but from the context it’s basically a small design tool that helps you preview or assemble portfolio layouts locally on macOS before pushing them live. Sounded harmless. It wasn’t.

What I wanted was simple: open the app, load a couple of mockups from my Documents folder, and tweak some layouts for a client pitch. Five-minute task. Coffee still hot.

Instead, macOS hit me with the classic:
“Awesome Portfolio Websites can’t be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software.”

Gatekeeper. Of course.

First thing I did (wrong move #1): I double-clicked it again, as if that would magically change Apple’s mind. Same warning. Then I went to System Settings → Privacy & Security and hit “Open Anyway.” That actually let it launch once. I thought I’d won.

I hadn’t.

The app opened… blank canvas, no projects visible. When I tried to import files, it showed my folder structure but everything was greyed out. No errors, just polite refusal. That’s when I realized this wasn’t just Gatekeeper being dramatic. It was a permissions issue layered on top.

I skimmed Apple’s Gatekeeper overview to remind myself how this flow works (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202491). The key detail I’d half-forgotten: allowing an app to run once doesn’t automatically grant it access to protected folders like Documents, Desktop, or Downloads.

So I tried attempt #2: I moved a test project to the Public folder. The app could see it. That was the clue. It wasn’t broken; it just didn’t have file access permissions.

At that point I checked System Settings → Privacy & Security → Files and Folders. The tool wasn’t even listed. Which usually means it never properly requested access, or macOS silently blocked it because it wasn’t notarized the way Apple prefers. I double-checked Apple’s broader explanation about opening apps from unidentified developers (https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/mac-help/mh40616/mac). Everything lined up with what I was seeing.

What actually fixed it was this:

1. Remove the app completely from /Applications.
2. Re-download a fresh copy.
3. Move it manually into /Applications (not run from Downloads).
4. Right-click → Open (instead of double-click).
5. Immediately try to open a file from Documents so macOS triggers the permission prompt.

That last step is the trick. If you don’t actively trigger a protected-folder request, macOS won’t show the dialog, and the app just looks broken.

After doing that, I finally got the “Awesome Portfolio Websites would like to access files in your Documents folder” prompt. I clicked Allow, and everything behaved normally. Layout previews loaded. Assets rendered. No drama.

Out of curiosity, I checked whether NimbusApps distributes it through the Mac App Store too. There’s a search listing here: https://apps.apple.com/us/search?term=NimbusApps — which, honestly, is the safer path for non-technical users since notarization and sandboxing are handled more predictably.

I also bookmarked this page while troubleshooting because it helped me think through the macOS security layers and how they interact with file access: https://carwallpaper.xyz/graphics-and-design/18456-awesome-portfolio-websites.html. Not official documentation, but it reminded me to look at permissions instead of blaming the build immediately.

What I understood after poking at it for an hour is this: on modern macOS (I’m on Sonoma 14.4, M2 MacBook Air), “won’t open” and “opens but can’t see files” are often two different security gates stacked together. Gatekeeper handles the initial trust check. TCC (Transparency, Consent, and Control) handles folder access. If either one misfires, the app looks unstable even when it isn’t.

If I had to summarize what actually helped:

• Always move third-party apps to /Applications before launching.
• Use right-click → Open for first launch.
• Immediately try to access a protected folder to trigger the permission dialog.
• If it still acts weird, delete and reinstall to reset quarantine flags.

I didn’t have to mess with Terminal or xattr this time, thankfully. But it was close.

Anyway, once permissions were sorted, the tool itself worked fine. Lightweight, no weird CPU spikes, no Rosetta hiccups. Just macOS being extra careful — which I get, but it can be confusing when you’re in a hurry.

If you run into the same thing with other NimbusApps utilities, I’d bet money it’s the same two-layer security dance. It’s rarely the app itself. It’s the system protecting you from yourself.

Hope that saves you 40 minutes and a reheated coffee.