How to check and manage app permissions on Mac

Every app that wants access to your camera, microphone, contacts, or screen has to ask — and macOS remembers every answer. Here's how to review the full list and revoke anything that shouldn't still have access.

How macOS tracks app permissions

macOS uses a system called TCC — Transparency, Consent, and Control — to gate access to sensitive resources. When an app first tries to access your camera or read your contacts, macOS shows a permission dialog and records your answer in a database. That answer sticks until you change it manually in System Settings.

The TCC database covers a long list of resources: camera, microphone, screen recording, contacts, calendars, reminders, photos, Bluetooth, full disk access, and more. Apps don't get any of these without an explicit grant. But grants you gave months or years ago can quietly persist long after you've stopped using the app.

Where to find permissions in System Settings

1. Open System Settings (Apple menu → System Settings).
2. Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
3. The list of categories appears on the right. Click any category to see which apps have been granted access.

Work through these categories one by one — each is worth a look:

Camera and microphone

Both show a simple list of apps with a toggle next to each. Any app listed here has been granted access at some point. If you see an app you don't recognize or no longer use, toggle it off. Revoking camera or microphone access takes effect immediately — the next time the app tries to use it, macOS will prompt it to request access again.

Be cautious with video calling apps like Zoom, Teams, or FaceTime — revoking camera or microphone will break calls until you re-grant.

Screen recording

Screen recording (listed as Screen & System Audio Recording on macOS 14+) is one of the most powerful permissions. An app with screen recording access can capture everything visible on your screen at any time — including other apps, browser windows, and notifications. Check this list carefully. Common legitimate holders include screenshot tools, video conferencing apps, and dev tools. Anything else is worth a second look.

Contacts and calendars

These are database-level permissions. An app with Contacts access can read every name, email address, and phone number in your address book — not just the ones you've specifically shared. If a messaging or productivity app has this and you don't remember granting it, revoke it and see if anything breaks. Usually nothing does.

Full disk access

Full Disk Access is the most powerful permission in the list. An app with full disk access can read any file on your Mac — your Documents, Downloads, Mail attachments, and anything else, regardless of folder-level restrictions. Scroll down in Privacy & Security to find it. The list here should be very short. Backup apps, some terminal utilities, and disk management tools have legitimate reasons to be here. Anything else is a red flag.

What happens when you revoke a permission

Revoking a permission doesn't uninstall the app or delete any data it already has. It just stops the app from accessing that resource going forward. The app may show an error or stop working for the feature that depended on the permission. If you revoke something by mistake, open System Settings again and toggle it back on — or relaunch the app, which will typically prompt you to re-grant access.

Permissions you revoke stay revoked until you explicitly re-enable them. macOS won't ask again on its own.

Doing a periodic audit

App permissions accumulate silently over months of use. A good habit is to do a pass through Privacy & Security every few months — especially after installing new apps or upgrading macOS. Pay attention to Camera, Microphone, Screen Recording, Contacts, and Full Disk Access. Remove anything you don't actively use in those categories, then see if anything breaks. If it does, you know exactly which permission to restore.