macOSWidgetExtension Differs From Previously Opened Version

The "XXX differs from previously opened version. Are you sure you want to open it?" notification is a common issue as so many users have complained about experiencing it and searching for an ultimate solution online.

Calm down, it's not a big deal since this post guides you in exploring what this notification is and how to stop it from appearing again on your Mac. Let's get started then!

macOSWidgetExtension differs from previously opened versions

You can see an example of the macOSWidgetExtension issue from Apple Discussion here:

Getting the following message popping up periodically on the Mac mini M4: "macOSWidgetExtension" differs from previously opened versions. Are you sure you want to open it? I selected the "Don't Open" but it keeps popping up after some time. Any idea what is causing it and how to get rid of it?

macOSWidgetExtension is a process that relates to the Widget feature coming with macOS Sonoma 14, notwithstanding that there is no detailed description of this macOSWidgetExtension being found online.

When macOSWidgetExtension confirms whether you want to open the different versions of the one opened before, you can click Open Anyway to proceed with your mission. 

Or, you can check the widgets you have added before to see if it works well. Each widget is related to the corresponding applications, for instance, the WeatherWidget is associated with the Weather app which displays weather updates. Once the macOSWidgetExtension sends you a notification, you can check if the app offering support to the widgets works fine.

If everything works OK while the macOSWidgetExtension still prompts you with a notification, restart your Mac to stop this weird process and get your Mac afresh for the following work routine.

ServiceExtension differs from previously opened version

In addition, this notification may be triggered by other applications that you intend to open, which confirms whether you want to open a different app from the one you previously opened. Just like this one:

This morning on Sonoma Version 14.1 (23B74) I did see a popup message that reads "ServiceExtension differs from previously opened version. Are you sure you want to open it? Opening "ServiceExtension" will allow it to access data from previously used versions of "ServiceExtension."", what's this on earth? How can I troubleshoot it on my Mac?

"ServiceExtension differs from previously opened version. Are you sure you want to open it?" is an alert notifying you that the app you want to open is signed with a different certificate. Put simply, it always happens when you have downloaded two or more versions of one app on your Mac workstation from different sources.

The ServiceExtension comes out when you download WhatsApp from the App Store and its official website. With two versions of WhatsApp installed on your Mac machine, you evidently receive a prompt confirming whether you want to open the app differentiating the one you opened before.

You can click Open Anyway to access this app to carry on your business. Yet if you have trouble running it, it's better to uninstall the one coming from a non-Apple channel -- App Store checks software from malware and prevents any viruses hiding in the software from attacking your machine, after all.

Simply moving the app to Mac Trash is not that thorough in removing its associated files, you'd better run a professional uninstaller to remove the side-loaded version of WhatsApp - iBoysoft MagicMenu, which removes WhatsApp along with all its related files, including app packages, extensions, support files, root files, launch helpers, user preferences, system logs, caches, cookies, etc. from your machine completely!

Step 1: Download and install iBoysoft MagicMenu on your Mac.

Step 2: Launch this handy app uninstaller and search the Uninstall extension in its main window to download. Note that iBoysoft MagicMenu only takes a little space and so does the Uninstall function, which nearly does not influence your Mac.

Step 3: Go to Finder > Applications, and locate the app for removal. Then right-click it to select Uninstall from the dropdown menu.

Step 4: Wait for this uninstaller to gather associated files of the will-be-uninstalled app. Once it finishes, check the useless files to let them be removed along with the app.

Step 5: Click Uninstall to confirm your actions and initiate the uninstall progress. This progress may take up to several seconds.

With only one WhatsApp left, you won't receive any prompt asking if you want to open an app different from the one you opened before. 

If you have run into this notification named other processes, you can also try this approach to resolve it with ease!