Full Disk Access (Full Disk Access) is a macOS privacy permission. Full Disk Access gives an app unrestricted access to all files on your Mac, including Mail, Messages, Safari data, Time Machine backups, and files in every user account. It bypasses the normal file-level permission prompts that macOS uses to protect sensitive areas. Common apps that request this permission include Terminal, Carbon Copy Cloner, Backblaze, iTerm2, Malwarebytes. Risk level: danger. To check which apps have this permission, open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, and select Full Disk Access. CoreLock provides a complete inventory of every app and process with Full Disk Access, including system-level daemons. It flags apps that have Full Disk Access but don't appear to need it based on their category, and alerts you when a new app is granted this powerful permission.
Full Disk Access gives an app unrestricted access to all files on your Mac, including Mail, Messages, Safari data, Time Machine backups, and files in every user account. It bypasses the normal file-level permission prompts that macOS uses to protect sensitive areas.
Click the Apple menu and select System Settings.
Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
Click Full Disk Access. This shows every app that can access all files on your Mac without restriction.
Only backup software, security tools, terminal emulators, and disk utilities genuinely need Full Disk Access. If you see a random utility or app you don't recognize, investigate or remove it.
Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access.
Disable the toggle next to any app you want to restrict. The app will immediately lose access to protected directories.
macOS may ask for your password or Touch ID to confirm changes to Full Disk Access because it's a high-security permission.
Some apps (like backup tools) will stop functioning correctly without Full Disk Access. Test the app after revoking to make sure it still does what you need.
CoreLock provides a complete inventory of every app and process with Full Disk Access, including system-level daemons. It flags apps that have Full Disk Access but don't appear to need it based on their category, and alerts you when a new app is granted this powerful permission.
Files and Folders permission grants access to specific directories like Desktop, Documents, or Downloads. Full Disk Access removes all restrictions — the app can read Mail, Messages, Safari data, Time Machine backups, and every other protected location. Full Disk Access is a superset that includes everything Files and Folders covers, plus much more.
Only if you need to run commands that access protected directories like ~/Library/Mail or Time Machine backups. For normal development work, Terminal functions fine without it. Grant it only when you specifically need it, and consider revoking it when you're done.
Most security scanners need Full Disk Access to scan all files on your system. Without it, they can only scan files in unprotected directories, leaving large gaps in coverage. CoreLock requests Full Disk Access to provide comprehensive scanning of 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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