Accessibility (Accessibility) is a macOS privacy permission. Accessibility access lets an app control your Mac — it can click buttons, read text in any window, simulate keyboard input, and interact with other apps on your behalf. This permission was designed for assistive technology but is frequently requested by automation and productivity apps. Common apps that request this permission include Alfred, BetterTouchTool, Bartender, Magnet, 1Password. Risk level: danger. To check which apps have this permission, open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, and select Accessibility. CoreLock identifies all apps with Accessibility access and cross-references them against known safe applications. It warns you about apps that have both Accessibility and network access — a dangerous combination that could allow remote control of your Mac — and flags any changes to this permission.
Accessibility access lets an app control your Mac — it can click buttons, read text in any window, simulate keyboard input, and interact with other apps on your behalf. This permission was designed for assistive technology but is frequently requested by automation and productivity apps.
Click the Apple menu and select System Settings.
Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
Click Accessibility. You'll see a list of apps that can control your computer.
Only window managers, automation tools, password managers, and legitimate assistive technology should be here. This is one of the most abused permissions — remove anything you don't actively use.
Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility.
Disable the toggle for any app, or select it and click the minus (-) button to remove it from the list entirely.
You'll need to click the lock icon or authenticate with Touch ID/password to make changes to this list.
After revoking, test that your essential apps (window manager, clipboard manager, etc.) still work. Re-enable only the ones you genuinely need.
CoreLock identifies all apps with Accessibility access and cross-references them against known safe applications. It warns you about apps that have both Accessibility and network access — a dangerous combination that could allow remote control of your Mac — and flags any changes to this permission.
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macOS doesn't have fine-grained permissions for window management, clipboard enhancement, or keyboard shortcuts. Accessibility is the only way for third-party apps to provide these features. Unfortunately, this means the permission grants far more power than most apps actually need — which is why it's important to audit this list regularly.
Yes. Accessibility access allows an app to read text in any window, including password fields (though macOS does try to protect secure text fields). It can also simulate keystrokes and mouse clicks. This is why you should only grant it to apps you fully trust.
Input Monitoring lets an app see your keyboard and mouse input globally (keylogging). Accessibility lets an app control your computer — reading windows, clicking buttons, and simulating input. Input Monitoring is read-only for your input; Accessibility is read-write for your entire system.
CoreLock scans every app on your Mac and shows you exactly which permissions each one has. Find hidden access in under 60 seconds.
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