If you’ve ever installed a desktop app and seen a warning like “Unknown publisher” or “This app can’t be verified”, you’re not alone — and you’re not doing anything wrong.

These warnings are common with indie-built software, even when the software itself is legitimate, safe, and well-maintained. In fact, if installed through point-and-click installers instead of through packet managers, a large portion of the software powering many sites you frequent daily would trigger the same warnings.

In this post, we’ll explain why the warnings exist, what they actually mean, and – let’s hope not but potentially – if you receive one of these warnings when downloading and installing Bwocks how you can still install the software.

We’ll also explain why this is one of the reasons we can offer a powerful, desktop-first product — comparable to a number of enterprise SaaS tools — at a fraction of the price.

Hint: avoiding these warnings on install is “pay to play” for Indie software.

Why operating systems show “Unknown Publisher” warnings

In short, one way operating systems like macOS and Windows try to protect users is to check whether an app is digitally signed. This basically means the app hasn’t been altered since it was built. And whoever made the app paid for and completed a bureaucratic verification process. It’s not a bad thing, but it’s also unreasonable for many projects. Note that we’ve completed a more reasonable digital signing for Windows and are in the process for macOS.

The backstory is that Bwocks is desktop native and supports using LLMs installed on your system so that – if you want – you can get the core functionality of an AI-native spreadsheet without continuing to pay monthly subscriptions. You can use it when the wifi doesn’t work on a plane. You can use it without anyone checking out your prompts to genAI.

In short, I built Bwocks for myself working as a marketer, a bit of a programmer, and someone who likes to make things. It’s priced like the worst bagel you’ve ever eaten from an airport. But I think it will be useful to others. Particularly those who do the same sort of work.

The hidden cost of “official” desktop apps

To distribute a fully signed desktop app, developers must:

  • Pay annual fees (often hundreds of dollars per platform)
  • Enroll in vendor programs (Apple, Microsoft, etc.)
  • Submit identity verification documents
  • Maintain certificates and renewals
  • Comply with evolving platform policies

For large companies, this is trivial overhead.

For indie developers, it’s real cost — both in money and time.

Many indie tools either:

  • Delay signing
  • Sign on one platform first
  • Or ship unsigned builds while they iterate quickly

That doesn’t make the software unsafe. It means the developer chose velocity, affordability, and control over paperwork.

Indie software vs. enterprise SaaS

Bwocks is built in the tradition of indie desktop software — closer to tools like early Photoshop, Sublime Text, or VS Code than to subscription-heavy SaaS platforms.

This has real benefits for users:

  • Local-first: your data stays on your machine
  • Bring your own API keys: no middleman, no markup
  • No server overhead: lower operating costs
  • One-time pricing: not designed to extract recurring rent

Enterprise SaaS products often charge more not because they’re more powerful — but because they have:

  • Compliance teams
  • Cloud infrastructure
  • Billing systems
  • Sales organizations

By staying small and desktop-first, we can ship a tool with serious functionality at $9 instead of $90/month.

Bwocks and code signing (where we are today)

Here’s our current status:

  • Windows: fully signed and certified
  • macOS: signing in progress (Apple’s process is slower and more restrictive)
  • Linux: distributed in the standard indie way

If you’re on macOS and see a warning during install, that’s expected for now — and it’s something we’re actively working on. If you’re on Windows and see it, it takes time to build up reputation even after you’re fully signed.

How to safely install an app when you see a warning

On macOS

If you see “can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer”:

  1. Open System Settings
  2. Go to Privacy & Security
  3. Scroll to the bottom
  4. Click “Open Anyway” next to the blocked app

You only need to do this once.

On Windows

If you see “Unknown Publisher”:

  1. Click More info
  2. Click Run anyway

This does not disable system protections — it simply tells your OS you trust this app.

A note on trust

Healthy skepticism is good. We encourage it.

That said, the presence of an “Unknown Publisher” warning usually reflects who built the software, not how safe it is.

Indie software often:

  • Ships faster
  • Costs less
  • Respects user data more
  • Avoids unnecessary cloud dependencies

Bwocks exists because I wanted a tool we could use every day — without subscriptions, without friction, and without sending work somewhere I don’t control.

In short

  • “Unknown publisher” ≠ unsafe software
  • Code signing is expensive and bureaucratic for indie developers
  • Indie tools trade polish and paperwork for speed, focus, and affordability
  • Bwocks is signed on Windows and actively progressing on macOS
  • You can safely install and use Bwocks today

If you ever have questions or concerns, we’re easy to reach — and we’ll always be transparent about where things stand.

Thanks for supporting indie software.