Yes. CleanShot X needs Screen Recording to capture screenshots and screen recordings — that's its whole purpose — plus Microphone if you record narration. Like any capture tool it can see whatever you capture, so quit it when you're not using it. To check on your Mac, open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, and review the Camera, Microphone, Screen & System Audio Recording, Accessibility, and Full Disk Access lists for CleanShot X.
Screenshots & Recording
Yes. CleanShot X needs Screen Recording to capture screenshots and screen recordings — that's its whole purpose — plus Microphone if you record narration. Like any capture tool it can see whatever you capture, so quit it when you're not using it.
“Used” = needed for a core feature · “Optional” = only for a specific feature · “No” = not normally requested
Screen Recording is required to capture your screen; Microphone records voiceover; Accessibility powers some capture shortcuts and scrolling capture.
A capture tool has powerful visibility into your screen — only run the official CleanShot X (from cleanshot.com), and confirm no background helper keeps capturing when idle.
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No. It only captures when you trigger a screenshot or recording. Because it holds Screen Recording permission, quit it fully when idle if you prefer.
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