App privacy access settings
Any app that can integrate with features that impact user privacy needs user approval. The first time an app wants to make use of a device’s hardware, like a camera or microphone, or use information from another app, the user receives a request with an explanation. The request notification may include a link to the needed setting in Privacy & Security. For example, a social networking app may request access to the camera or photos, or a database app may request access to Local Network to connect with a server. After the user grants or denies access, they can change access later.
A device management service administrator can manage many app privacy access settings. Settings that affect user privacy, like camera and microphone can’t be enabled, but can be disabled, by a device management service. A user must turn on access for settings that affect privacy.
Unless managed by a device management service, iPhone, iPad and Mac users can manage all privacy access settings in Privacy & Security. Some privacy access settings on Mac require administrator privileges to change.
The following are privacy access settings in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. You can view apps that have requested access, and what access has been granted, in Privacy and Security for each of the following:
Hardware
Option | Description | Device management | Appears in Privacy & Security | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Accessibility | Allow apps to run scripts and system commands to control their Mac. The listed apps have requested access. To add an app, click [+] , select the app in the list, then click Open. | Device management can configure specific Accessibility settings. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Accessories | If the user has a Mac laptop with Apple silicon, they have to approve Thunderbolt or USB devices and SD cards they connect to their Mac.
| Device management can allow devices to always connect to specific accessories while locked. On a Mac, this allows new specific accessories to connect without authorization. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
App Management | Allow apps to update or delete other apps on a user’s Mac. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Automation | Allow apps to access and control other apps on a user’s Mac. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Bluetooth | Allow apps to use Bluetooth on a user’s Mac. The listed apps have requested access. To add an app, click [+] , select the app in the list, then click Open. | Device management can prevent the user from modifying Bluetooth settings. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Camera | Allow apps to access the camera on a user’s Mac. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can deny specified apps access to the camera. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Critical Messages | List of allowed apps that have requested permission to send critical message as text messages. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Developer Tools | Allow apps to run software that doesn’t meet the macOS security policy. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Input Monitoring | Allow apps to monitor input from the user’s mouse or trackpad, and to see what they type on the keyboard. The listed apps have requested access. To add an app, click [+] , select the app in the list, then click Open. | Device management can set which approved apps have specified access to input devices (mouse, keyboard, trackpad). | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Location Services | Allow apps, system services, and websites to gather and use information based on the current location of the user’s Mac to provide a variety of location-based services. To see specific system services that use their location, click the Details button at the bottom of the list. To allow the location of their Mac to be used by Siri Suggestions and Safari Suggestions, turn on Location-Based Suggestions. | During search, device management can restrict Siri Suggestions for apps, people, locations, and more. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Local Network | Allow apps to find and communicate with devices on the user’s local network. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Microphone | Allow apps to access the microphone on their Mac. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can deny specified apps access to the microphone. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Motion & Fitness | Allow apps to access your motion and fitness activity on your Mac. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Remote Desktop | Allow apps to access the user’s screen and audio through the Remote Desktop app. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Screen & System Audio Recording | Allow apps to record the user’s screen and audio, or just their audio. The listed apps have access. To add an app, click [+] below a list, select the app, then click Open. | Device management can deny specified apps access to capture (read) the contents of the system display. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Speech Recognition | Allow apps to access speech recognition on a user’s Mac. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can allow specified apps to use the system Speech Recognition feature and to send speech data to Apple. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Software
Option | Description | Device management | Availability | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Calendars | Allow apps to access the user’s calendars. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can allow specified apps access to event information managed by Calendar. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Contacts | Allow apps to access the user’s contacts. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can allow specified apps to access contact information managed by Contacts. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Files & Folders | Allow apps to access files and folders in different locations. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Focus | Allow apps to see and share the user’s Focus status. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Full Disk Access | Allow apps to access all files on a user’s Mac, including data from other apps (for example, Mail, Messages, Safari, and Home), data from Time Machine backups, and certain administrative settings for all users on this Mac. To add an app, click [+] , select the app in the list, then click Open. | Device management can specify which apps can access files. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Health | Allow apps to access the user’s health data. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Home Accessories | Allow apps to access the user’s home data on their Mac. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Media & Apple Music | Allow apps to access Apple Music, the user’s music and video activity, and their media library on their Mac. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can allow specified apps access to Apple Music, music and video activity, and the media library. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Passkeys Access for Web Browsers | Allow third-party browsers to use the user’s saved passkeys to sign them in to websites. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Photos | Allow apps to access the user’s photos. The listed apps have requested access. Note: If users have items that are stored outside the Photos Library, other apps may still have access to them. | Device management can allow specified apps access to images managed by the Photos app in: /Users/username/Pictures/Photos Library Note: If the user puts their photo library somewhere else, it won’t be protected from apps. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Reminders | Allow apps to access the user’s reminders. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can allow specified apps access to information managed by Reminders. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Wallet | Allow apps to access Apple Wallet. The listed apps have requested access. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Security
Option | Description | Device management | Availability | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allow apps from | Protect a user’s Mac from malware by only allowing apps that come from the App Store or from identified developers.
| Device management can restrict app downloads on a Mac to one of the choices listed in the description. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
FileVault | Require a login password to access the user’s startup disk. When they turn on encryption, all users are required to use a login password. When they first turn on FileVault, they choose how they want to unlock the startup disk if they forget their login password: with the Apple Account they use for iCloud, or with a recovery key the system creates for them. If they choose the recovery key, they need to write down and keep track of that recovery key. They can also add other users who are allowed to unlock and access the information on their Mac. See Protect data on your Mac with FileVault in the Mac User Guide. | Device management can force FileVault to be turned on. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Lockdown Mode | Limit apps, websites, and features if the user believes they’re being personally targeted by a highly sophisticated cyberattack. Most people are never targeted by attacks of this nature. See the Apple Support article About Lockdown Mode. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Other
Option | Description | Device management | Availability | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Analytics & Improvements | Automatically send analytics information to Apple and app developers, which helps them serve customers better and improve the quality of their products.
For more information, see Share analytics information from your Mac with Apple and Siri settings. | Device management can restrict sharing this data with Apple and developers. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Apple Advertising | Users may sometimes receive ads in Apple News, Stocks, and the Mac App Store that are targeted to their interests. To understand why a specific ad was shown to you, click the Ad button on the ad. You can turn off Personalized Ads to prevent Apple from using your information for ad targeting. This may not decrease the number of ads you receive, but the ads may be less relevant to you. To prevent Personalized Ads, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security, click Apple Advertising, then turn off Personalized Ads. Note: The option to turn off Personalized Ads appears after Apple News or Stocks asks for permission to send the user personalized ads. To review Apple’s Advertising and Privacy policy, click About Apple Advertising & Privacy. | Device management can prevent users’ data from being used by the Apple advertising platform to deliver personalized ads. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Apple Intelligence Report | Generate a report of requests their Mac has sent to Private Cloud Compute in the last 15 minutes or 7 days. See Create an Apple Intelligence privacy report. Note: Apple Intelligence isn’t available in all languages or regions. To check whether Apple Intelligence is available for the user’s device, language, and region, see the Apple Support article How to get Apple Intelligence. | Device management can prevent these reports. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
Sensitive Content Warning | Helps the user avoid seeing photos and videos that may contain sensitive content. Sensitive photos and videos appear blurred. The user can choose to view them without blurring. | Device management can’t restrict the use of this feature. | iPhone, iPad: Mac: | ||||||||
The first time an app wants to use information from another app, the user receives a request with an explanation. For example, a messaging app may request access to their contacts to find friends who are using the same app. After the user grants or denies access, they can change that access later.
Review or change access to information in apps on an iPhone or iPad
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Tap a category of information, such as Calendars, Reminders, or Motion & Fitness.
A list appears showing the apps that requested access. The user can turn access on or off for any app on the list.
Review or change access to information in apps on a Mac
Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security.
Select a category of information, such as Calendars, Reminders, or Motion & Fitness.
A list appears showing the apps that requested access. The user can turn access on or off for any app on the list.
Troubleshoot app privacy access issues
If an app can’t use hardware or information it needs, you can check and adjust its privacy access settings. Steps differ depending on whether your device is unmanaged or managed by an organization.
On unmanaged devices
Check Privacy & Security settings
On iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security, then tap the option, such as, Camera, Contacts, or Local Network. Make sure the app is turned on.
On Mac: Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security, then select the option. Verify the app has permission.
Confirm app request behavior
Delete and reinstall the app if you didn’t see a prompt the first time. The request appears again when the app next tries to use the feature.
Check administrator privileges (Mac only)
Some privacy settings, such as Camera or Microphone, apply to all users and require administrator privileges to change. Sign in with an administrator account to adjust them.
Review system updates
Make sure the device is running the latest version of iOS, iPadOS, or macOS, since privacy frameworks are sometimes updated.
On managed devices
Check with your organization
A device management service may disable certain privacy settings, such as Camera or Microphone. If the setting is disabled by management, you can’t re-enable it yourself.
Confirm managed restrictions
If a switch for the setting doesn’t appear, or the setting’s behavior is not as indicated, it’s likely enforced by the device management service.
Review configuration profiles
Some profiles control access to specific features. Removing a required profile may not be allowed, and attempting to do so can put the device out of compliance.
Escalate for adjustments
Contact your device management administrator if you need access to a feature that’s currently disabled by a policy. Only device management administrator can change those settings.
Troubleshoot app privacy access on iPhone and iPad with Reset Location & Privacy
You can use iOS or iPadOS to reset the Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC) system on an iPhone or iPad.
Resetting app privacy access settings can be useful if an app doesn’t prompt for access as expected, or if settings appear stuck or missing.
Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone or iPad, tap Reset, tap Reset Location & Privacy.
This action will reset app privacy access for all apps. When your location and privacy settings are reset, apps will stop using your Location Services information until you grant them permission.
Troubleshoot app privacy access on Mac with tccutil
You can use a madOS command-line tool, tccutil, to reset app privacy access settings managed by the Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC) system.
Resetting app privacy access settings can be useful if an app doesn’t prompt for access as expected, or if settings appear stuck or missing.
tccutil doesn’t reset app privacy settings made using a device management service.
When to use tccutil
You can use tccutil to resolve the following conditions:
An app isn’t prompting for app privacy access when it should.
An app privacy access setting is unavailable in Privacy & Security and the setting isn’t managed.
An app privacy setting appears stuck, corrupted, or out of sync with changes made by the user.
You’ve removed or changed management profiles and app privacy settings don’t update.
How to use tccutil
When tccutil is used to modify app privacy settings for an app, the app is identified in the command using the app’s bundle id, or bundle identifier. You can use codesign to determine the bundle identifier for an application.
In the Terminal app, type
codesign -d -r - /Applications/AppName.app, then press Enter to determine the bundle identifier for a specific application.
Task | Command | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Reset a single category for all apps (such as Microphone) |
| Clears all existing app privacy settings for that category; apps will ask again the next time they need it. |
Reset a single category for a specific app |
| Resets app privacy settings for only the specified app in the chosen setting. |
Reset all permissions for all apps |
| Resets all app privacy settings across all settings and apps. |
Reset all permissions for a specific app |
| Resets all app privacy settings for the specified app across every category. |
Troubleshooting steps
Verify the app’s bundle identifier.
Restart the app or the Mac.
Check for management restrictions. On managed devices, if an app privacy access setting is allowed or denied by policy, management may not be reflected in the interface, and only a device management service administrator can change it.
Managed vs unmanaged devices
On a managed Mac you can only reset privacy access settings that have not been configured using a device management service.
On an unmanaged Mac you can set or reset privacy access settings as needed.
Get more information on tccutil
The man (manual) page for tccutil contains information and examples. In Terminal, type tccutil, select the text, Control + click on the text, then from the contextual menu, select Open man Page.
For more information on bundle IDs, see Bundle IDs for iPhone and iPad Apple apps in Apple Platform Deployment.