How to Review and Manage App Permissions on macOS

Secure your privacy by reviewing and adjusting app permissions on your Mac. Learn to manage camera, microphone, and data access in System Settings.

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 management panel.
2. Access Privacy & Security. Scroll down the sidebar on the left and click Privacy & Security. This pane centralizes all hardware and data access controls.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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. 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.