Fix “This App Has Been Disabled” Error in Adobe Illustrator on macOS
A few days ago, one of my colleagues who has used Adobe Illustrator for a couple of years on MacOS for packaging design. Suddenly, a pop-up appeared, stating that 'This app has been disabled' when Illustrator is open. This problem is almost common among every illustrator user. If you face the same issues, no problem, here is the solution in this article.
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| This app has been disabled |
Reason Behind the Problem
- Adobe Illustrator license has expired
- Crack or illegal software
- Background internet access issues in Adobe Illustrator
Solutions to the Issues on macOS
1. Check if You Have a Genuine License
- If you have an Adobe subscription, sign in to the Creative Cloud app with your Adobe ID.
- Open Creative Cloud Desktop App → Log in with your account → Check if your apps activate.
- If not logged in, the app will remain disabled.
2. Uninstall Cracked/Old Adobe Versions
Adobe’s licensing system (Adobe Genuine Service)
automatically disables cracked or outdated versions.
On macOS:
- Open Finder → Applications.
- Delete the Adobe app that shows this error.
- Also, remove Adobe Genuine Service if it’s corrupted:
- Go to Applications > Utilities > Adobe Genuine Service Uninstaller.
- Run it to remove AGS.
3. Reinstall Adobe Creative Cloud (Official)
Download the latest Creative Cloud Installer from Adobe’s
official site:
https://creativecloud.adobe.com/apps/download/creative-cloud
Install it, then reinstall the Adobe Illustrator apps you
need
4. Alternative (If You Don’t Want a Subscription)
If you don’t want to pay for Adobe Creative Cloud:
Use free/open-source alternatives:
- GIMP (like Photoshop)
- Inkscape (like Illustrator)
- Krita (digital art)
- DaVinci Resolve (video editing)
5. Clear System Caches (if reinstall fails)
Sometimes leftover files block reinstallation:
Go to Finder → Go → Go to Folder
Enter:
~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/
Delete Adobe-related folders (be careful if you still need
some apps).
Also clear from:
~/Library/Preferences/
~/Library/Caches/
Block Adobe Illustrator from accessing the internet on macOS
If everything is alright, but this has appeared the same, then
try to block Adobe Illustrator from accessing the internet on macOS. Here are
the steps below.
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| Firewall |
Block Illustrator in macOS Firewall
- Open System Preferences.
- Go to Network → Firewall (or Security & Privacy → Firewall on older versions).
- Turn the Firewall On.
- Click Firewall Options (or Firewall > Options).
- Click the + button → Navigate to Applications → Adobe Illustrator. App.
- Select Block incoming connections.
These only block incoming, not outgoing. Illustrator may
still be disconnected.
Block Outgoing Connections (Better)
Apple’s built-in firewall doesn’t block outgoing traffic, so
you need a helper app:
- Little Snitch (paid, very popular)
- Radio Silence (cheaper, simpler)
- LuLu (free, open-source)
With LuLu (free):
- Download from 👉 https://objective-see.org/products/lulu.html
- Install and run it.
- The next time Illustrator tries to connect online, LuLu will ask → choose Block.
Block via Hosts File
You can block Adobe servers system-wide:
Open Terminal.
Type:
sudo nano /etc/hosts
Add Adobe servers to block, for example:
127.0.0.1 adobe.com
127.0.0.1 www.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 lm.licenses.adobe.com
Save (CTRL+O, then Enter) and exit (CTRL+X).
Flush DNS:
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
This blocks all Adobe apps, not just Illustrator.
Best Option if you want app-specific blocking → use LuLu or Radio
Silence.
It’s easier and safer than editing system files.
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