How to View App Permissions on macOS

To check app permissions on a Mac, open Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security, then select a category such as Camera, Microphone, Photos, or Files & Folders. macOS organizes these controls by the type of data or device being protected. It does not provide one complete screen that lists every permission an app has requested, currently holds, or could ask for later.

Open the app permission controls

1. Choose the Apple menu in the corner of the screen and select System Settings.
2. Select Privacy & Security in the sidebar. Scroll down the sidebar if you do not see it.
3. Choose the resource or feature you want to review. The right side shows apps associated with that category and, where available, a switch for each app.

Apple describes these settings as the place to review and change access to information and hardware. Many lists show apps that have requested access to that specific resource; they are not a general inventory of every app installed on the Mac. A category with no app entries may simply mean no app has requested that protected access yet.

Check permissions by category

Camera, microphone, screen recording, and network access

Open Camera or Microphone to see which listed apps can use those devices and turn off access you do not want to allow. Apple documents the same path for camera access in its Mac camera privacy guide. Current macOS versions also include categories such as Screen & System Audio Recording and Local Network. These cover different activities: recording the display or system audio is separate from communicating with devices on your home or work network.

Photos, location, and files

Photos and Location Services have their own app lists. Select Photos to turn access on or off for an app; this is a control macOS provides, so do not assume photo access is permanently unchangeable. For location, review the individual app entries and the main Location Services setting. Apple has separate instructions for photo access and location access.

Under Files & Folders, an app may have separate controls for locations such as Desktop, Documents, or Downloads. These are narrower than Full Disk Access. Also remember that choosing a file in an Open or Save dialog can give an app access to that selected item without creating a broad, permanent folder permission. Apple's Files & Folders guide explains how to review the folder controls.

Full Disk Access and other sensitive controls

Full Disk Access is broader: it can allow an app to access data from other apps and certain system locations. Review it carefully and leave it off unless the app needs it for a feature you use. Also look at Accessibility, Input Monitoring, and Automation if you are checking whether an app can control your Mac or interact with other apps. These categories grant different kinds of access, so one switch does not replace checking the others.

What the list cannot tell you

System Settings shows the privacy controls macOS exposes for each category, but it is not a full audit of app behavior. An app can request access only when it reaches a feature that needs it, so you may see a permission prompt later. Access to a user-selected file can also work differently from a standing folder permission. App permissions are not identical to ordinary file ownership or every technical capability in an app.

For an advanced, static inspection of an app bundle, the developer of Taccy says the utility examines an app's Info.plist and code signature. That can help you inspect declared privacy descriptions and signing details, but it does not tell you which privacy switches are currently enabled for your account. The developer's current page lists Taccy 1.15 for macOS versions through Sonoma; compatibility with later releases is not documented there. See the Taccy product page and its version 1.15 release notes before relying on it.

Turn off access you do not need

In the relevant Privacy & Security category, switch off the app's access. The app may lose a related feature, such as video calls after camera access is disabled. If you are unsure why an app appears in a sensitive category, check its documentation or contact its developer before granting broader access. Avoid changing protected system databases or running broad reset commands just to inspect permissions; the category controls in System Settings are the supported place to review and manage these grants.

For Apple's complete category descriptions and instructions, use its Privacy & Security settings guide for Mac. Menu labels can vary slightly across macOS versions, but the Privacy & Security section remains the starting point.