XProtect is Apple’s built-in malware protection for macOS. It checks apps and downloaded files against Apple’s malware signatures when they are first opened, working with File Quarantine and Gatekeeper to block known threats. Apple updates these signatures through background security updates that do not require a full macOS upgrade. Recent macOS versions also include XProtect Remediator, a set of scanners that run periodically to detect and remove specific malware families, replacing the older Malware Removal Tool. XProtect has no separate app to manage and runs quietly in the background as part of the operating system.
