Apple Tweaks Screen Recording App Permissions to Decrease Popup Frequency in macOS Sequoia 15.1

[MacRumors]

With macOS Sequoia, Apple is requiring users to regularly reauthorize permissions for screen recording apps, but you may not have to do it quite as often with a change that's being implemented in macOS Sequoia 15.1.

In the release notes for the sixth beta of the macOS Sequoia 15.1 update, Apple says that users aren't going to see as many popups for apps they regularly use.

Applications using our deprecated content capture technologies now have enhanced user awareness policies. Users will see fewer dialogs if they regularly use apps in which they have already acknowledged and accepted the risks.

During the macOS Sequoia beta testing process, Apple was showing permission popups for screen recording apps on a weekly basis, which people quickly got tired of. The permission setting was tweaked to show a popup only once per month prior to when macOS Sequoia launched, but now users will see fewer popups once they've given an app they use on a regular basis screen recording permissions.

The prompt that Apple shows is designed to remind users that apps are able to record screen and system audio, including sensitive information.

[App Name] is requesting to bypass the system private window picker and directly access your screen and audio. This will allow [App Name] to record your screen and system audio, including personal or sensitive information that may be visible or audible.

There is no option to remove the popup permanently, but macOS Sequoia 15.1 may make the frequency of the popup more bearable for those who use screen recording apps on a daily basis. macOS Sequoia 15.1 is expected to see a release on Monday, October 28.

Article Link: Apple Tweaks Screen Recording App Permissions to Decrease Popup Frequency in macOS Sequoia 15.1

 

[goodcow]

[App Name] is requesting to bypass the system private window picker and directly access your screen and audio.

Could they make this any more cryptic? What end user is going to know what "the system private window picker" is? Where's the easy to understand end user language?

 

[swrobel]

The phrase "using our deprecated content capture technologies" makes me think there is a newer API that will eliminate these pop-ups if apps switch to it. Anyone know if that's actually the case?

 

[cgreentx]

Still no way to manage this properly for enterprise management tools. As an end user I greatly appreciate Apple's emphasis on privacy and security... but in the business world computers are tools. Security and compliance requirements don't always allow users to have the ability to manage their own machines, and even if they do have it they need to have security/management tools in place. PPPC needs to be updated to allow central authorization of screen recording and prompting.

 

[bzgnyc2]

Applications using our deprecated content capture technologies now have enhanced user awareness policies. Users will see fewer dialogs if they regularly use apps in which they have already acknowledged and accepted the risks.

Can anyone quantify what "fewer dialogs" mean? It was weekly then monthly and presumably now it is less than that but what is that?

Also, does Sequoia's policies on this apply to Apple's apps or just 3rd party apps?

On the flip side, what does anyone think about a 3rd option on the popup to immediately delete or quarantine any app that the user didn't expect to request screen capture privileges? That Screenshot or Zoom or Teams requests this (when requested by the user) makes perfect sense but I'd permaban say a weather app that requests this.

 

[mansplains]

This and other privacy “features” really need toggles for those of us who don’t need hands held. The dots for microphone and camera are alright, but the new purple dot for audio routing kit is completely unnecessary. Maybe if macOS had better audio settings I wouldn’t need SoundSource.

 

[MrENGLISH]

Is this why I keep getting a stupid popup every 5 minutes while trying to use After Effects? It's gotten quite annoying.

EDIT: I just realized that it seems to have stopped as of 15.0.1 update.

 

[CrysisDeu]

Just remove this alert..
I have seen too many people who have no idea how to grant microphone/screen recording/data access permissions.

Even for tech interviews, I have heard countless examples of people forgetting to enable permissions beforehands, got dropped off the call, cannot rejoin, and lose that interview..

It should “just work” for average customers, and provide an option to block certain apps for people who specifically seek privacy to that extent

 

[The Phazer]

Still not good enough.

The team responsible need to be reassigned. This is my ****ing computer, not yours.

 

[andrewxgx]

deprecated?
like, there are new APIs available for that? or do they want to get rid of those altogether (good luck with that, lol)?

 

[TriBruin]

Still no way to manage this properly for enterprise management tools. As an end user I greatly appreciate Apple's emphasis on privacy and security... but in the business world computers are tools. Security and compliance requirements don't always allow users to have the ability to manage their own machines, and even if they do have it they need to have security/management tools in place. PPPC needs to be updated to allow central authorization of screen recording and prompting.

Yes, there is. A preference key was added in Beta 5 to suppress the monthly prompts. But, if you are talking about alllowing screen recording, the user will still need to approve it the first time.

 

[jameslmoser]

The level of hoops you have to jump through to enable things you want to install and use has gotten ridiculous... there is no way that enough of these things have been a problem that it justifies it. The not being able to bypass unsigned applications with a left click menu option anymore is clearly not in the interest of the user, but instead for apple's control... to try and squeeze more money out of independent developers.

 

[SkydiveGuy]

This is one of the stupidest things Apple has implemented.
I manage over 130 Macs in a school district and they have a program on them called LanSchool that allows the teacher to lock the screen, remote into the device to assist the student, share their screen and manage internet access while issuing an exam.
This was already a beast to manage with the existing security settings that required authorizing several items in settings to complete.
Now it's going to pop up on a regular basis? Nope. Teachers and students are just going to get aggravated.

 

[cgreentx]

Yes, there is. A preference key was added in Beta 5 to suppress the monthly prompts. But, if you are talking about alllowing screen recording, the user will still need to approve it the first time.

I am referring to allowing it... The only option is still to allow a standard user to approve, but in an enterprise environment a user should not be able to decline enterprise management tools.

 

[swixo]

Yes, there is. A preference key was added in Beta 5 to suppress the monthly prompts. But, if you are talking about alllowing screen recording, the user will still need to approve it the first time.

Can you put a link to details on this pref key?

 

[goodcow]

The level of hoops you have to jump through to enable things you want to install and use has gotten ridiculous... there is no way that enough of these things have been a problem that it justifies it. The not being able to bypass unsigned applications with a left click menu option anymore is clearly not in the interest of the user, but instead for apple's control... to try and squeeze more money out of independent developers.

macOS has become what Apple used to attack Microsoft for:

 

[ItchyRat2160]

It's not just screen capture. It's EVERYTHING. Every time I click anywhere in macOS Sequoia I'm harassed by some dialogue asking me if I want to grant permissions to some app that I ALREADY GRANTED. This is Windows Vista Nannying my use of my computer all over again.

 

[avkills]

This nanny state of OS systems is really out of control. Also the stupid orange dot that Mac OS puts on the screen to let you know your mic is in use is also stupid. Yeah I am in ****ing zoom, I know my mic is being used duh!

 

[TriBruin]

Can you put a link to details on this pref key?

It is in AppleSeed for IT notes. If you are a Mac Admin, you should be able to find it. Note, the preference key will only work if applied by an MDM. It can not be applied locally.

 

[NanoG6]

has anyone experienced unresponsive touch ID or even not recognizing fingerprints on sequoia? I don't remember when this happened, whether since 15.0 or 15.0.1. hopefully it's not my module that's broken.

 

[svish]

A step in the right direction. Will be great if there is an option to disable the pop up completely.

 

[PassiveSmoking]

Will they also fix the firewall? It's broken so badly in 15.0.1 I've had to turn it off because it was killing connections I had opened and preventing Time Machine from backing up to the NAS.

 

[NanoG6]

has anyone experienced unresponsive touch ID or even not recognizing fingerprints on sequoia? I don't remember when this happened, whether since 15.0 or 15.0.1. hopefully it's not my module that's broken.

yes it's a bug. I installed 15.1 beta 3 and now problem solved.

 

[bruhsfx2]

ScreenCaptureKit is available since macOS 12.3
The content sharing picker is available since macOS 14.

The system window picker essentially is a way for apps to ask users to pick a window first, then OS presents the content to the app. Since its the OS who is asking the user which window to share, app doesn't need to ask for a screen recording permission as it is granted automatically once the does choose a window.

Apps do not opt to use this new mechanism needs to enumerate the windows themselves, and here lies the problem, users need to first allow screen recording access to the app before app can present to users which window to choose from.

It's very similar to how photos pickers are implemented in iOS and Android.
If allowed by user via a propmt, the OS provides all photo access (or limited photo access in recent iOS/Android versions) to the app, and app draws itself a picker.
However, OS also provides a native photo picker that an app can invoke, the user select the photo, and OS provides those photos to the app, without app ever needing to request permission to read photos. Basically no apps use this, they would rather have access to your all photos, than requesting you to pick a photo and present to them.

Screen capture is a very sensitive permission. Apple wants to discourage usage of previous not so privacy friendly way of sharing your screen. It's not about annoying you, devs can update their app to make their product better but they chose not to.

 

[bzgnyc2]

ScreenCaptureKit is available since macOS 12.3
The content sharing picker is available since macOS 14.

The system window picker essentially is a way for apps to ask users to pick a window first, then OS presents the content to the app. Since its the OS who is asking the user which window to share, app doesn't need to ask for a screen recording permission as it is granted automatically once the does choose a window.

Apps do not opt to use this new mechanism needs to enumerate the windows themselves, and here lies the problem, users need to first allow screen recording access to the app before app can present to users which window to choose from.

It's very similar to how photos pickers are implemented in iOS and Android.
If allowed by user via a propmt, the OS provides all photo access (or limited photo access in recent iOS/Android versions) to the app, and app draws itself a picker.
However, OS also provides a native photo picker that an app can invoke, the user select the photo, and OS provides those photos to the app, without app ever needing to request permission to read photos. Basically no apps use this, they would rather have access to your all photos, than requesting you to pick a photo and present to them.

Screen capture is a very sensitive permission. Apple wants to discourage usage of previous not so privacy friendly way of sharing your screen. It's not about annoying you, devs can update their app to make their product better but they chose not to.

Thanks buhsfx2 for sharing that context. A system window picker sounds like the best way forward.

However if that functionality is only available starting with macOS 14 I could see why most developers don't use it (besides nafarious reasons) -- most developer do want to support at least back to the last macOS that Apple supports which until recently was Monterey. Probably not high on their list is create code for each path -- a pre-Sonoma and Sonoma+ option though either that or dropping support for pre-Sonoma macOS sounds like the best way forward.