How to Audit Full Disk Access on macOS

Secure your Mac by auditing applications with Full Disk Access. Review, manage, and revoke permissions to protect your sensitive data and privacy.

1. 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 primary configuration interface.
2. Locate Privacy & Security settings. In the sidebar of the System Settings window, scroll down until you reach the Privacy & Security tab. Click this entry to view your system's privacy configuration panel.
3. Access the Full Disk Access list. Within the Privacy & Security panel, click on the Full Disk Access icon. You will see a list of applications that have been granted permission to access all files on your storage drive.
4. Review current permissions. Inspect each entry carefully. Identify applications that do not strictly require unrestricted access to function, such as legacy utilities, unknown background processes, or tools you no longer use.
5. Revoke unnecessary access. To revoke access for a specific application, click the toggle switch to the right of its name. You will be prompted to authenticate with your Mac user password or Touch ID to confirm the change.
6. Apply changes. Click the Quit & Reopen button if prompted by the system. This ensures that the application immediately loses its Full Disk Access privileges until you manually toggle them back on.