Can Macs get viruses? Do you need antivirus on a Mac?

Can Macs get viruses on Apple silicon?

Apple silicon changes the Mac’s hardware and some of its security architecture; it does not make downloaded software trustworthy. An app that persuades you to open it, give it access to data or enter your password can still cause harm. A malicious website can also steal an account through a convincing sign-in page without installing a Mac app.

People often use “virus” for every kind of unwanted software. More useful distinctions are adware, which changes or interrupts browsing; an infostealer, which tries to collect credentials or other private data; and a trojan, which disguises harmful behavior as something useful. Those names describe behavior, not a diagnosis you can make from a busy fan.

A dated example makes the risk concrete. In research published 2 July 2026, Jamf Threat Labs described PamStealer impersonating a clipboard app and collecting data. Jamf’s 22 September 2026 follow-up documented another variant using a fake installer. These are the vendor’s investigations of particular samples; they do not tell us how likely any individual Mac is to be infected.

What macOS already does

Apple describes several layers that do different jobs. Keep them enabled and keep the Mac updated before deciding what extra software to buy.

• Gatekeeper checks downloaded software’s identity, notarization and integrity as part of opening it. A prompt asking permission to open an app is a decision point, not an instruction to approve everything.
• Notarization is Apple’s check for known malicious content in software submitted by developers. It is not a guarantee that an app will always be safe or that its business practices suit you.
• XProtect is macOS’s built-in malware detection and remediation technology. Apple supplies updated detection information separately from major macOS upgrades.

Apple’s Platform Security guide explains XProtect’s detection, removal and behavioral components. Its Gatekeeper documentation covers how downloaded apps are checked. Our XProtect guide goes further into the built-in system.

Other protections have narrower jobs. FileVault helps protect data at rest if someone gets the Mac. A firewall controls certain incoming connections. System Integrity Protection limits changes to protected system locations. None of those is a substitute for careful downloading, account security or a backup you can restore.

Do you need extra antivirus?

A maintained personal Mac used for familiar work, with apps from sources you deliberately trust, may not need another always-running security product. That is a judgment about the setup, not a promise that built-in protection catches everything. No product can make every password prompt, download or link safe.

An additional security app can be useful when you want a manual scan, help interpreting suspicious behavior, centrally managed protection, or an organization’s incident response service. A family member who needs help with repeated unwanted installations may also benefit from support that someone can actually provide, whether that comes from an app vendor or a trusted technician.

On an employer or school Mac, ask your IT team. Required endpoint software may report to an administrator and enforce policies beyond malware detection. Removing it because the Mac also has XProtect can break access to work services or violate the organization’s requirements.

If you choose an app, check its maker’s macOS and Apple silicon requirements, what permissions it requests, whether it offers real-time or on-demand scanning, how cancellation works, and what support is included. Avoid stacking multiple active scanners just to feel safer; when diagnosing problems, follow each vendor’s compatibility guidance. Treat comparative detection percentages as results for a dated laboratory test, rather than a guarantee for your files.

Useful checks before installing anything else

1. Update macOS and your apps. Start at System Settings › General › Software Update on macOS 15 Sequoia, macOS 26 Tahoe and macOS 27. App updates also matter because files and web content are handled by apps.
2. Review what you installed recently. If unwanted behavior started after a download or extension, identify that change before installing several cleanup tools.
3. Check unexpected permissions. Read an app’s explanation before granting access to the whole disk, screen recording, accessibility or your browser. Permission should follow a task you chose.
4. Protect accounts. Use unique passwords or passkeys where available and multifactor authentication. Malware scanning cannot undo a password you gave to a phishing site.
5. Keep a backup. Verify that important files exist in a backup, not only in a syncing folder where deletion can spread.

Do not follow a website’s instruction to paste a command into Terminal to “prove you are human,” install a browser update, or remove an alleged infection. Obtain updates from the app itself, the App Store or its maker’s site. A web page’s alarming animation is not evidence that it inspected your disk.

If you think your Mac is infected

Unexpected redirects, unfamiliar extensions and software you did not intend to install deserve investigation. Heat, low storage and a process with an unfamiliar name are weak evidence on their own. Activity Monitor can reveal workload; it cannot certify whether a file is malicious.

Stop opening the suspicious app and avoid entering more credentials into it. Use a separate trusted device for urgent account changes if credentials may have been stolen. On a managed Mac, report the symptoms and the download source to IT before deleting evidence. Our malware removal guide owns the investigation and removal steps, including browser checks.

If macOS blocks an app, read the exact message. A developer-verification warning and a known-malware warning are different. Apple could not verify an app explains that distinction. Do not disable system protections to bypass a warning you do not understand.

How Tend helps

Tend’s free Security check shows FileVault, firewall, Gatekeeper, System Integrity Protection and XProtect version information together. It helps you review settings; it does not scan downloaded files, detect an infection or remove malware. A healthy-looking settings list is not an all-clear result for your Mac.

The free app also shows your apps’ CPU, memory and estimated watts, useful when suspicious behavior is actually a heavy workload. Pro adds alerts and other maintenance tools, but it does not add antivirus scanning. Use a security product or qualified support when that is the job you need done.

Questions

Related guides

Sources

• Apple, Protecting against malware in macOS.
• Apple, Gatekeeper and runtime protection.
• Apple, Protect your Mac from malware.
• Jamf Threat Labs, PamStealer investigation, 2 July 2026; follow-up, 22 September 2026.

Sources checked 23 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.