Block Apps

How to Turn off and Block the App Store on Mac

There are several ways that the App Store can be disabled or turned off on a Mac computer

Tech Lockdown Team

Updated July 2, 2025

If you're a Mac user who wants to limit addictive content as much as possible, then a great place to start is to block the App Store. While it's not possible to uninstall the App Store, it is possible to hide or disable the App Store so it can't be used to download new apps. This is a great first step for parents managing their child's devices or adults who are trying to self-manage.

There are generally a few approaches you can consider on Mac devices if your goal is to prevent new apps from being installed:

Use Screen Time settings to limit the App Store and prevent certain apps from being downloaded
Use Apple Config Files to completely hide and disable the App Store
Use a specialized application to block the App Store

Which approach you should use depends on your goals.

Use Screen Time to Limit the App Store

Screen Time can enable a variety of restrictions on a Mac computer, and this includes the ability to block new apps from being downloaded. This is an ideal approach if you're an adult who just wants to make it more difficult to install apps, or a parent who uses Screen Time or Apple Family Sharing to restrict your child's ability to download apps.

Here's how to do this on Mac:

Open System Settings by clicking on the Apple icon on your taskbar

Search for Screen Time

Open Content & Privacy Restrictions > Store

Under Apps, select Don't Allow

Optionally, Lock Screen Time settings to prevent this restriction from being easily disabled

Use Apple Config Files to Block the App Store

There are some cases where Screen Time is too easy to disable (especially if you're an adult setting up your own Mac). Instead of limiting the App Store, a better option is to use Apple Config Files to manage restrictions.

If you use an Apple Config Generator like the one included with a Tech Lockdown membership, the App Store can be blocked and forced to display this message instead:

Here's what the setup instructions look like if you're using Tech Lockdown:

Ensure that Disable App Store is enabled in the Config Editor

Optionally, configure the Editor to protect your Config File once it's generated.

You could specify your own passcode or have a random one generated that you can't guess. If you are a parent or have an accountability partner, this can be set to a passcode only they have access to. Otherwise, if you're self-managing without any help, you'll need to use the uninstall wizard.

Generate the Config File and download it to your Mac

Install the Config File using System Settings

Note

Full instructions are provided on the Tech Lockdown dashboard.

Use an Application Blocker to Block "App Store.app"

Another possibility is to use a specialized piece of software that can block ".app" files on your Mac. There are many different applications out there (and they each have a different process for setting this up), but the one we've tested and recommend the most is called Cold Turkey .

Cold Turkey is a great option if you're self-managing your own computer, since it's not easy to disable without providing the correct password or waiting for a delay.