Download apps for separate users separately.

Of course. To do this, put an application in ~/Applications, being ~ your user directory, so you will be able to use the app only in your user account.

You can also put it in any other folder inside the user directory. Remember that some applications like Microsoft Office can only be installed in /Applications

To expand on the post above. Normally all apps get installed to the ROOT Applications folder, that is the Applications folder in the ROOT of the hard drive. To have any app installed for only one users you have to Change the Install Location during the install process to the Applications folder in That specific user account, the Username Applications folder.

Maybe. Now a days most Apps are not Stand Along programs. During the install of them they might place other files in other folders on your drive and these other files are looking for the program to be installed in the Default Applications folder. By copying just the .APP file found in the ROOT Applications folder to a Username Applications folder may or may not work to allow just that user to use that program and then deleting the original might make the app not work at all.

That is why I said "During the installation of the App you select a different location to install TO".

If you have 3 users on your Mac and you only want 2 of them to have access to Program X you must install that program twice and do it from a login for those 2 user accounts. One time each once you have logged into that user account.

Veedyuut5 wrote:

So after copying the applications to ~/Applications, can I delete specific apps from the /Applications??

And should I copy only the apps I need to be private to ~/Applications or do you I have to copy ALL the apps??

No it is not. Any user with Admin rights can change those permissions and the App still shows in the ROOT applications folder and what can happen is everyone loses access to the app.

Change permissions is something regular users, even with Admin rights, shouldn't be doing, anywhere on their system.

You are welcome

Isn't a better option to assign permissions for an app in the main /Applications folder for specific users using 'Get Info'

Thanks for the clarification!