How to Check Mac App Permissions Before Using an AI Agent

To check what an AI agent app can do on your Mac, open System Settings, go to Privacy and Security, and walk the panels for Full Disk Access, Files and Folders, Accessibility, Screen Recording and Automation. Each panel lists the apps that hold that grant. Anything an agent does not need for its job should be switched off, and you can switch it back on later in seconds.

Apple has said it will add stricter controls around Full Disk Access because of AI agents, covered in our news post on the announcement. Until that ships, this audit is how you stay ahead of it.

Why the order matters

Not all grants are equal. A folder grant lets an agent read a folder. Full Disk Access, according to Apple's developer news item, exposes files, mail, messages and browsing history. Accessibility and automation let an app control other apps as you. Check the expensive ones first.

The audit, in order of risk

1. Full Disk Access. Privacy and Security, then Full Disk Access. Keep it for backup tools and anything you chose deliberately. If an agent app is on the list and you only use it on one project, remove it and grant a folder instead.

2. Accessibility. Lets an app read and drive the interface of other apps. An agent that clicks around for you needs it. An agent that only answers questions does not.

3. Screen Recording. Lets an app see everything on your display, including password managers and private chats. Grant only to tools that must watch the screen.

4. Automation. Shows which apps are allowed to control which other apps, such as an agent scripting your mail client. Remove pairs you cannot explain.

5. Files and Folders. Apple documents this panel in its support guide. You can allow or deny access per app for the Desktop, Documents and Downloads folders. This is the grant you want agents to use instead of the first one.

Panel names and positions can differ between macOS versions, and Apple has said new controls are coming, so treat the labels as a guide.

Taking access back

Switching a toggle off is enough in most cases. To reset everything an app was ever granted, macOS includes a command line tool. In Terminal:

tccutil reset All com.example.agentapp

Replace the bundle identifier with the app's own. Running man tccutil shows the services you can reset one at a time. The app will ask again the next time it needs something, which is what you want.

Before you install the next agent

• Ask what the first-run prompt wants and why. A coding agent working in one repository needs that repository, not your disk.

• Prefer tools that work from a folder you pick. Our guide to restricting an AI coding agent's file system access shows how.

• Be careful with mail and calendar. Giving an agent access to your inbox has its own checklist.

• Look for a way to see what it touched afterwards. See how to tell if an AI agent read your file.

For the larger picture, the AI risks guide ties these checks together.

FAQ

Is Full Disk Access safe to give to an AI app?

It is the broadest permission on the Mac, so only when the app's job truly needs it. Apple itself says the risks of this level of access will grow as agents become more autonomous.

How do I see which apps have Full Disk Access?

Open System Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Full Disk Access. Every app with the grant is listed with a toggle.

Will an agent stop working if I remove a permission?

Usually it asks again when it needs the permission. If a feature quietly fails, switch the grant back on and decide whether you want that feature.

Do Windows and Linux have the same problem?

The principle is the same, since an agent can only reach what the logged-in user can reach. The settings and tools differ, so this guide covers only macOS.