How to Review and Manage App Permissions on macOS

Step by step

1. 15 sec

   Open System Settings

   Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen. Select System Settings from the dropdown menu to open the management panel.

   Note: Alternatively, press Command + Space, type System Settings, and press Enter.
2. 15 sec

   Access Privacy & Security

   Scroll down the sidebar on the left and click Privacy & Security. This pane centralizes all hardware and data access controls.

3. 1 min

   Review sensitive permissions

   Locate the Privacy section in the main window. Click on specific categories like Camera, Microphone, or Full Disk Access to see which applications have been granted these permissions.

   Note: Permissions with a toggle switch are active; click the switch to revoke access.
4. 1 min

   Toggle individual app access

   Identify any app that should not have access to a specific sensor or file location. Click the blue toggle switch to turn it grey, immediately revoking that app's privilege.

   Note: Some changes may require you to quit and restart the affected application.
5. 30 sec

   Confirm system modifications

   If you are removing sensitive system-level permissions, macOS may prompt for your administrator password or Touch ID. Enter your credentials when prompted to finalize the change.

6. 1 min

   Clean up unused app entries

   Scroll to the bottom of the list in any category. If you see an app that is no longer installed, select it and click the minus (-) button to remove the legacy permission entry from your system configuration.

   Note: Keeping this list clean prevents unauthorized apps from re-gaining permissions if re-installed.