Which Mac apps can use your camera, microphone and screen? How to check

macOS remembers every permission you ever granted. Apps you stopped using months ago may still have access to your camera, microphone, screen or disk. Review the list, and remove what you don’t recognize.

The permissions that matter most

• Camera and Microphone: the obvious ones.
• Screen & System Audio Recording: an app can see what is on your screen.
• Accessibility: an app can control your Mac and read what other apps display.
• Input Monitoring: an app can see what you type.
• Full Disk Access: an app can read nearly everything, including mail and messages.

How to check, in System Settings

1. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security.
2. Open each category above. Every app with access appears with a switch.
3. Turn off anything you don’t recognize or no longer use.

macOS also shows live indicators: a green dot in the menu bar when the camera is in use, and an orange dot for the microphone. If you see one when you aren’t on a call, find out which app caused it (click Control Center to see).

Revoking from Terminal

To reset a permission for one app, use Apple’s own tool with the app’s bundle identifier:

tccutil reset Camera com.example.app

The app must still be installed. You can reset a permission for all apps with tccutil reset Camera; each app will then ask again when it needs the permission.

Red flags

• An app you haven’t opened in months that still has Screen Recording or Accessibility.
• An app whose developer you can’t identify, with access to many categories.
• A permission list with apps you don’t remember installing.

Also read how to open an app from an unidentified developer, since those are the apps worth watching.

Undig’s Permissions Audit reads macOS’s permission list (read-only, locally), groups it by app, flags the ones not opened for months or with an unidentified developer, and removes access with one click. It needs Full Disk Access to read the list, and nothing leaves your Mac.