Disable SIP on Macos

October 12, 2025 · 1 min read · Page View:

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System Integrity Protection (SIP) is a security layer that limits even the root user from modifying protected parts of the system. Apple introduced it in OS X El Capitan to reduce the blast radius of malware and accidental system damage. In practice, SIP blocks writes to system locations, prevents runtime injection into protected processes, and restricts some kernel/system-level operations.

Sometimes I run a command and see ‘Operation not permitted’ despite sudo, SIP is often the reason. So I need to disable SIP temporarily.

When would I toggle SIP? #

You need to modify or remove a built‑in system app or framework.
You are doing low‑level development or using tools that require system directory writes.
You are performing a one‑time maintenance action that macOS otherwise blocks.

I strongly recommend disabling SIP only temporarily. Do what you need in a narrow window, then re‑enable it.

Check SIP status #

Run this in a normal Terminal session:

csrutil status

It will report enabled or disabled.

Disable SIP (Recovery Mode) #

Attention: You need to make sure there are only one administer in your MacOS, otherwise you will need to specify the administrator account. It will display Authorized User: when you run the command.

You must do this from macOS Recovery; it cannot be changed from a live system.

Apple silicon (M1/M2/M3…):
1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press and hold the power button until you see ‘Loading startup options…’.
3. Click ‘Options’, then ‘Continue’ to enter Recovery.
4. In the menu bar, open Utilities → Terminal.
5. Run:
```
csrutil disable
```
6. Restart Mac.
Intel Macs:
1. Restart and hold Command (⌘) + R until you see the Apple logo to enter Recovery.
2. In the menu bar, open Utilities → Terminal.
3. Run:
```
csrutil disable
```
4. Restart Mac.

Enable SIP (Recovery Mode) #

Re‑enable SIP the same way, again from Recovery.

Apple silicon or Intel (steps are the same as above to enter Recovery), then in Terminal:

csrutil enable

Notes and cautions #

Disabling SIP reduces system security. Only do it if you understand the implications and for as short a time as possible.
Some system apps (e.g., the built‑in Maps app) are protected by SIP; attempting to remove them without disabling SIP will typically fail. Even so, deleting built‑in apps is rarely advisable.
sudo does not bypass SIP, so Recovery mode changes are required.