Accessibility Permission Mac AI: The Two Permissions Your AI Assistant Asks For

Accessibility lets an app control your Mac, such as clicking, typing, and scrolling for you. Screen Recording only lets an app see what is on your screen. An assistant that explains and points needs Screen Recording. An assistant that acts for you may need both.

What the Accessibility permission does on a Mac

Accessibility is a privacy setting in macOS. It decides which apps can use accessibility features to work with your Mac. Apple's help page describes the moment you meet it. An app tries to control your Mac that way, and macOS shows an alert with two buttons: Open System Settings and Deny.

You can review that choice later. Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility. Each app on that list has its own switch. Turn it on to allow the access, and turn it off to take it back.

The part most people miss is what comes with a yes. Apple says that giving an app access to your Mac also gives it access to "your contacts, calendar, and other information." Apple adds that the app is subject to its own terms and privacy policy, not Apple's. Apple advises granting access only to apps you know and trust.

That last point deserves more weight than a footnote. After you approve, the app's privacy policy decides what happens to what it reads. Apple's rules do not cover that part. Read the policy before you approve, not after.

Third-party write-ups describe Accessibility as the permission that lets an app click and type on your behalf. Apple's page does not list those actions in detail. Check the app's own documentation to confirm what it does with the access.

What the Screen Recording permission does on a Mac

Screen Recording lives in a different pane. Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording. Older guides call this setting just Screen Recording. It is the same control.

In that pane you can turn recording on or off for each app. You can also choose screen only or audio only. If an app is missing from the list, use the Add button to add it. Apple's screen recording page covers these options.

Screen Recording answers one question for the app: can it see what is on my screen? It does not answer whether the app can press a button for you. That split is the whole reason there are two permissions. An assistant that reads your screen and tells you where to click needs the first one. It does not need Accessibility for that part.

Accessibility vs Screen Recording side by side

The table gives you the short version. The paragraph after it explains what changes your decision.

The first two rows explain the split. Accessibility changes what an app can do. Screen Recording changes what an app can see. The third row tells you how each one asks for approval, and that is where most people get caught off guard.

Which permission does your AI assistant need?

Claude's computer use is a useful example, because Anthropic documents both permissions in detail. On macOS, Claude's computer use needs Accessibility to click, type, and scroll. It needs Screen Recording to see what is on screen. The docs say both must be granted before the computer use toggle takes effect, and the Settings page shows the status of each one.

The same docs describe the feature as a research preview. It needs a Pro, Max, or Ultra plan, and it is not available on Team or Enterprise plans. It needs macOS 14 or later, and it is off by default. Those limits matter if you are choosing a tool for work.

That example gives you a simple test. Ask three questions before you approve anything.

1. Does the app say it will click, type, or scroll for you? If yes, expect to see Accessibility.
2. Does it only explain, point, and answer? If yes, Screen Recording may be all it needs.
3. What does its privacy policy say about screenshots and audio? Read the parts about storage and training.

The first question is about actions, not features. An app with a long feature list may still only need to see your screen. The actions are what drive the Accessibility request.

How to check and change the Accessibility permission on Mac

Open System Settings from the Apple menu. Go to Privacy & Security, then click Accessibility. Look at the list before you change anything. Turn off any app you do not recognize or no longer use.

Some apps only show up in this list after they ask for access. So trigger the feature first, then check again. If the app still does not respond after you turn the switch on, quit it and open it again.

How to check and change the Screen Recording permission on Mac

Use the same path, but choose Screen & System Audio Recording instead. Turn the switch off for any app you have stopped using. For an assistant that only needs to see the screen, choose the screen-only option if your version of macOS offers it.

Check this pane after any new tool arrives. It is the list you will forget about first.

Why the screen recording prompt keeps coming back

If you use an AI assistant that needs screen access, you may see a prompt again and again. Reports from 2024 explain part of why.

TidBITS reported on 23 September 2024 that Sequoia shows the prompt whenever you trigger a feature that needs screen recording permission. Apple reduced how often it appears to monthly, and the shipped release kept that schedule. The prompt offers Allow For One Month or Open System Settings. TidBITS also reported that clicking Open System Settings and doing nothing has the same effect as Allow For One Month.

MacRumors reported on 15 August 2024 the same monthly schedule, down from weekly in beta. It also said restart re-approval was removed. That report was based on beta behavior, and it did not include an official Apple statement.

A 2026 Screenify post, updated 21 August 2026, says a dialog appears every 30 days and that users cannot disable it. It cites no Apple source. Apple's current screen recording page does not mention monthly re-approval, reboot re-approval, or Allow For One Month. So treat the monthly cycle as likely, but unconfirmed on your version of macOS.

The sources also disagree about restarts. MacRumors says the restart prompt was removed. Screenify suggests prompts can return after a reboot. Test it on your own Mac, and note the macOS version and the dates when the prompt appears.

Here is a practical rule. If you use an assistant every day, choose Allow For One Month and accept the monthly prompt. If you use it rarely, turn the switch off in the pane and turn it on when you need it.

A worked example: your first week with an AI assistant

Say you install a voice assistant on a Monday morning. You hold the shortcut and ask what a button does in your spreadsheet. macOS asks for Screen Recording, because the app needs to see the window. The prompt offers Allow For One Month or Open System Settings. You choose Open System Settings and turn the switch on yourself, so you know exactly what you approved.

Two weeks later, you ask the same app to press a button for you. Now it asks for Accessibility. The alert shows Open System Settings and Deny. You click Deny, then read the app's privacy policy and its help page. If the action is worth the trade, you turn the switch on. If not, you keep doing the click yourself.

A month later, the Screen Recording prompt returns, if your version of macOS works the way 2024 reports describe. You open the pane, confirm the app is still on, and choose Allow For One Month. You never had to guess what you approved, because you checked the same two panes each time.

What to do when you deny a permission by mistake

Denying is not a permanent mistake. Apple's page says you can review the Accessibility choice later in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility. So if you click Deny by accident, open that pane and turn the switch on.

The same goes for Screen Recording. Open the Screen & System Audio Recording pane and turn the switch on for the app. If the app is missing from the list, use the Add button. Then quit the app and open it again, because some apps check permissions only at launch.

Watch for the app that asks twice. Many assistants add features over time, and each feature can need a different permission. You might see a Screen Recording prompt on Monday and an Accessibility prompt a week later. That is a good moment to reread what the app now says it does, not just to click the first button you see.

Why the risk of these permissions is growing

On 2 October 2026, Apple published a developer statement about Full Disk Access. It said some developers use that access in ways that could expose files, mail, messages, and browsing history. It also said: "As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially." Apple says it will add controls so that this access requires very explicit user action.

The Hacker News reported on 5 October 2026 that Full Disk Access will be granted only with an explicit user action. It did not say when that will happen.

Apple's statement covers Full Disk Access. It does not name Accessibility or Screen Recording, and it gives no date. It does not say whether these two permissions will change. Still, both let an app act on or see your data, so the same logic applies. Check them now rather than waiting for a prompt.

Accessibility is also a feature people depend on

The name causes confusion. Accessibility as a permission is not the same as the accessibility features people use every day. Those features support people with disabilities. The WHO estimated in March 2023 that 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the world's population, experience significant disability.

In WebAIM's Screen Reader User Survey #11, fielded in July and August 2026 with 1,780 valid responses, 70.3% of respondents used more than one desktop or laptop screen reader. The same survey found 60.1% use AI to generate image descriptions or alt text.

The survey sample is not representative, so do not treat those figures as population numbers. They do show that many people who rely on assistive technology already use AI tools on their computers. That makes permission choices a practical concern, not a theoretical one.

Mistakes people make with these two permissions

• Approving by reflex. The alert is in your way, so people click Open System Settings and flip the switch. Read what the app says it does first.
• Leaving old apps on the list. Permissions stay after you stop using an app. Check both panes every few months and turn off what you no longer use.
• Treating Screen Recording as harmless. It can see anything on screen, including messages, documents, and account pages you have open. Close sensitive windows before you ask an assistant for help.
• Assuming the name tells the whole story. Accessibility sounds like a setting for accessibility features only. For an app, it can mean control of your Mac.
• Restarting before you test. Some guides say to restart after you grant a permission. Claude's docs do not say that. Try the app first, and restart only if it still ignores the permission.

Where this fits on your Mac

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ to ask about anything on screen, and it answers out loud. It does not click buttons, edit files, or operate other apps for you. That makes it a Screen Recording question first, and it is worth checking the Accessibility list yourself after install.

On privacy, it listens and looks at the screen only while you hold the shortcut. Audio and the screenshot go to AI providers so they can answer. They are not stored, and content is never used to train AI models. Check those promises against the permission panes on your own Mac.

You can download Lazur and try the 3-day Pro trial, which needs no credit card and starts when you first open the app. Pricing is on the pricing page.

What to do next

Start with the two panes today. Turn off anything you no longer use. Then answer the three questions above for each AI assistant you have installed. If the screen recording prompt keeps coming back, read our guide on screen recording permission on Mac. It walks through the prompt, the settings, and what to do when the app still does not work.