Screen Recording (Screen & System Audio Recording) is a macOS privacy permission. Screen Recording permission lets an app capture everything visible on your screen, including other apps, documents, passwords as you type them, private messages, and financial information. This is one of the most sensitive permissions on macOS. Common apps that request this permission include Zoom, Loom, CleanShot X, OBS Studio, Microsoft Teams. Risk level: danger. To check which apps have this permission, open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, and select Screen & System Audio Recording. CoreLock audits Screen Recording permissions across all apps — including command-line tools and background agents that most users never see in System Settings. It rates the risk level of each app with this permission and warns you immediately if a new or untrusted app gains screen recording access.
Screen Recording permission lets an app capture everything visible on your screen, including other apps, documents, passwords as you type them, private messages, and financial information. This is one of the most sensitive permissions on macOS.
Click the Apple menu and select System Settings.
Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
On macOS Sequoia and later, look for "Screen & System Audio Recording." On earlier versions, look for "Screen Recording." Click it to see which apps have this permission.
This permission list should be very short. Only screen-sharing, screenshot, and recording apps genuinely need this. Question any app that doesn't have an obvious reason to record your screen.
Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording.
Disable the toggle for any app you want to revoke. On macOS Sequoia, you may also see a minus (-) button to remove the app from the list entirely.
Some screen recording permission changes require a restart or at minimum a logout/login cycle to take full effect.
CoreLock audits Screen Recording permissions across all apps — including command-line tools and background agents that most users never see in System Settings. It rates the risk level of each app with this permission and warns you immediately if a new or untrusted app gains screen recording access.
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Screen Recording is required for any app that needs to see the contents of other windows — not just for recording video. Apps like window managers, screenshot tools, and accessibility tools need it to function. However, you should still carefully vet each app because this permission grants access to everything on screen.
Yes. Screen Recording captures everything visible on your display, including password fields, banking apps, private documents, and messages. This is why it's one of the most dangerous permissions to grant. Only approve apps you fully trust.
Screen Recording allows an app to see and capture the visual content of your screen. Accessibility allows an app to control your computer — clicking buttons, reading window contents, and simulating input. Both are high-risk, but they serve different purposes. Some apps request both.
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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