Check the exact app in Applications
After downloading the official release and moving the app into Applications, open Terminal. Replace the path below if your app is elsewhere:
APP="/Applications/NotchDock.app"
codesign --verify --verbose=4 "$APP"
spctl --verbose=3 --assess --type execute "$APP"Apple documents spctl -vvv --assess --type exec /path/to/application as a way to assess whether the current system policy allows the software to run. Its notarization troubleshooting guide also documents codesign -dvv for inspecting signature details.
Interpret each result narrowly
codesign --verify checks the code signature for the bundle you named. spctl --assess asks the current local security policy to assess that app. Save the command output with the release version, download URL, macOS version, and date. A successful check does not prove that the software is free of malware, nor does it establish the state of other releases.
If Gatekeeper rejects the app
Stop and verify that you downloaded the intended artifact from the official release page. Check the published release notes and contact the developer if the result is unexpected. Do not remove quarantine attributes, disable Gatekeeper, or use an override merely to make a warning disappear.
Apple explains code signing and the separate notarization process. Notarization is an automated check by Apple’s notary service; it is not App Review and is not proof of no malicious behavior. This page does not claim that every NotchDock DMG has been verified.