How to Open Dmg Files on Mac Ventura/Monterey/Big Sur/Catalina [4 Fixes]

On your Mac, a DMG file is typically downloaded when you install a program or software. If you want to open the DMG file on Mac manually, check the quick navigation here:

Workable Solutions	Step-by-step Troubleshooting
Fix 1. Double-click the DMG Files	Double-clicking the DMG files in their location, such as the desktop, etc., will open them directly...Full steps
Fix 2. Use Disk Image Mounter	It's available for download once more. So you can try Mac's built-in tool - Disk Image Mounter...Full steps
Fix 3. Use Mac Terminal Commands	Go to Finder - Applications - Utilities and launch the Terminal application...Full steps
Fix 4. Force Open Dmg Files	A notice that states, "[Name] can't be opened since it was not downloaded through the App Store."...Full steps

Overview: What is a DMG File on Mac

In macOS, app containers are stored in DMG files, similar to a Windows ISO file. It can hold the software installation file and is treated like a physical drive by macOS. Then, you eject them after opening them and dragging the app to your Applications area.

To ensure that the file downloads correctly and isn't modified, macOS uses DMG files. A checksum is a feature of DMG files that essentially confirms that the file is entirely intact. A DMG file will automatically mount each time you open it and show up in Finder's Locations tab alongside other physical disks. It will additionally be visible in Disk Utility.

DMG Files on Mac

4 Methods: How to Open DMG Files on Mac

A DMG file is, therefore, always thought of as a virtual disk drive. Dragging the apps to the Applications folder ought to be sufficient to install a program from a DMG file on a Mac. For certain Mac users, the process is less straightforward because they can't first access the DMG file. However, there are various conditions for Mac users. Here is the complete guideline for opening and mounting DMG Files on Mac.

Method 1. Double-click the DMG Files

Double-clicking the DMG files in their location, such as the Download folder, desktop, etc., will open them directly. Following that, a box with the text "opening-name.dmg" will appear. You can open the DMG file on Mac immediately after the verification process has been successful and it has been unlocked automatically.

Double Clicking DMG Files

Method 2. Open DMG Files Using Disk Image Mounter

If you double-clicked the disk image but could not open it on your Mac and received an error message such as "No mountable file system," the file may already be corrupted. It's available for download once more. So you can try the methods with Mac's built-in tool - Disk Image Mounter.

Step 1. To open a DMG file, right-click or press Command + click on it.

Step 2. From the list of options under the Open With button, select "Disk Image Mounter".

DMG Files on Mac with Disk Image

Step 3. The DMG file's content will be directly visible for you to use once it has been mounted.

Method 3. Mount the DMG File with Mac Terminal

Try mounting the DMG files using Terminal if the right-click menu is grayed out or if none of the Open With options has any effect. Follow these steps after dragging the file to your desktop:

Step 1. Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities and launch the Terminal application.

Open Terminal to mount DMG Files

Step 2. Type the Command: "cd ~/Desktop" into the Terminal window and hit Enter.

Terminal Command to Open DMG FIle

Step 3. Type the following Command: "hdiutil attach filename.dmg" and hit Enter. (Notice: Change filename.dmg to the name of the actual.dmg file).

Step 4. Your DMG files will now be mounted on your Mac after you have performed the two command lines.

Method 4. Open Dmg Files When You See the Error Message

When you double-click the DMG files, you may encounter a notice that states, "[Name] can't be opened since it was not downloaded through the App Store."

Then you can carry out these actions:

Step 1. In the top-left corner of the screen, click the Apple logo and then choose System Preferences.

Open System Preferences on Mac

Step 2. Select Security & Privacy under System Preferences.

Step 3. In the bottom-left corner of the window, click the lock icon.

Security and Privacy to Unlock DMG Files

Step 4. To update anything on this page, you must enter your password.

Step 5. Select "Anyway", and then open the DMG files.

System Preference to Open DMG Files

Bonus Tips: Recover Deleted DMG Files on Mac

There are many different reasons why files can be lost or permanently destroyed. Data loss occurs frequently, DMG files are not an exception, and data recovery is occasionally necessary. This section shows how to use Deep Data Recovery for Mac, a powerful file recovery tool.

You can recover DMG files on macOS with robust data recovery software, mainly if you have performed Mac's Terminal command lines to open DMG files on Mac, which may cause the system to become unresponsive.

Qiling DMG File Recovery Tool for Mac

Recover lost or deleted DMG files with its sophisticated scanning and recovery algorithms.
Recover Mac deleted files from Trash when your DMG files have been dragged to Trash Bin on Mac.
In addition to DMG files. For instance, you can retrieve deleted emails, audio, videos, and Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Here is a step-by-step tutorial on using a professional DMG recovery application to recover deleted DMG files on Mac.

Step 1. Select file types

Launch Deep Data Recovery for Mac. Select file types and click "Next" to start

Select file types that you want to recover

Step 2. Scan for deleted files

Select the hard drive, external drive, or SSD where your important data & files were deleted and click "Search for lost files".

select a location and click search for lost files

Step 3. Filter the lost files

The software will run quick and deep scans and work hard to find as many deleted files as possible on the selected volume. Filter wanted files through the "Type" and "Path" options.

Step 4. Recover deleted files

Double-click the deleted files to preview. Then, click the "Recover" button to get them back.

Bottom Line

Thanks to the DMG file, installing software on macOS is more accessible than installing software on Windows. But it is common to experience issues when opening a DMG file, exceptionally if it has been corrupted or hasn't been downloaded entirely to your device. You can attempt one of the four techniques above to open the problematic DMG file. If you accidentally lost your files, you can try Deep Data Recovery for Mac to restore the files.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

How to Open DMG Files FAQs

Here are 4 additional questions and answers to help you know more about How to open DMG files.

1. How can I open a DMG file on Windows?

DMG files are Mac-only and aren't meant to be used with Windows. Check the website for a Windows software version before downloading a DMG file.

2. What can DMG files on Mac or Windows do?

DMG file benefits from improved compression and encryption, and their primary advantage is that they may be considered detachable disks.
DMG files can read and write data, and you can add files to them as needed.
Your PC storage could be significantly reduced by deleting extra DMG files.

3. How to open DMG files on Mac that are not recognized?

Step 1. Find and choose any ".dmg" file.
Step 2. Navigate Finder - File - Get Info.
Step 3. Find the "Open with" section when the "Get Info" window appears.
Step 4. Choose "Disk Image Mounter" from the "Open with:" pop-up menu, then click the "Change All" button, and finally click the "Continue" button.

4. Can I delete DMG files after software installation?

Yes, you can. After installing software, DMG files can be deleted because they eventually become useless. So, lowering it might free up computer storage.

Note: If you unintentionally deleted DMG files, try the method above to recover the deleted files.