macOS 15: Apple plans weekly reminder for screen recording permission
Beta testers discovered a new function in Sequoia that could cause a lot of frustration: For data protection reasons, users are often warned about certain apps.
Potential new nerve source: safety notice in Sequoia coming more frequently.
(Image: Screenshot via AppleInsider)
There is a classic Apple advertisement that once caused a lot of laughter: almost 20 years ago, Apple made fun of the fact that Windows Vista had introduced very detailed security queries in a "Get a Mac" commercial. With macOS 15 alias Sequoia, Apple is now moving closer to Microsoft in this respect - at least in part. As testers of the latest beta version have discovered, once permission has been granted for apps that record the screen - such as screenshot tools or recording tools for presentations - it must be confirmed every week.
When the warning window disappears
"App XYZ can access your computer's screen and audio. Do you want to continue to allow this access?", a corresponding warning window will appear for each individual screen recording app. In the small print, Apple warns that "information about all open apps on the desktop" could also be collected while the app is running. The options are "Open system settings" (to adjust or withdraw permission) and "Continue to allow".
What initially sounds sensible - after all, screen recording apps can collect highly sensitive data - can become annoying or a problem in the long run. This includes the fact that permissions windows in macOS tend to hide or only appear briefly and then disappear into the background. Sometimes they are open for a long time without you noticing - and you only notice them when you use the Exposé function to display all windows. However, if the approval is not confirmed, the screen recording no longer works, which means that screenshots are no longer taken in popular tools such as CleanShot X, for example. It also happens that the permission can only be granted slowly because the window seems to be slow - this could be a problem with the beta, however.
macOS 15 tightens security precautions
In macOS 14 and earlier, the warning dialog only refreshes if an app has received a new developer certificate. This was also at the heart of an affair surrounding the once popular menu bar app Bartender. Apparently, Apple took this as an opportunity to tighten the security conditions. However, many users are likely to feel patronized by the new model. This is because there seems to be no way of granting permanent approval as before. This means that you have to click again every week.
Apple is also tightening up other aspects of macOS 15. It will be more difficult to run apps without notarization by Apple. What the company has not implemented, however, is the requirement to separate the approval of screen recording and computer audio. This is still regulated by a single permission in macOS 15: If an app can record the screen, it can also record audio and vice versa. Apple has not yet explained why this is the case.
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