If you’ve upgraded to macOS Sequoia (15.0) over the past few days, you’ve probably got a sore finger. The new macOS takes permission nagging to a new level, regularly seeking your authorization to allow apps to do this or that. The bad news? There’s no way to switch it off.
New macOS Permissions
Even before Sequoia, macOS was already a needy operating system, regularly seeking assent to let apps or services behave in certain ways.
Developers were already forced to seek permission if they wanted to access your Documents, Downloads or Desktop, or folders that are normally managed by another app.
Now macOS 15 sees even more permissions added to the list. For example, if an app wants to access other devices on your local network, such as AirPlay speakers.
Normally with these types of permissions, you click to let something happen the first time you install an app and that’s the end of the matter. However, Apple has now introduced monthly permissions for apps that take screenshots or capture video footage of your screen.
There’s no way to give an app permission and never be nagged again. You’ll be asked whether you still want the app to take screenshots in a month’s time.
The good news is it could have been worse: during the Sequoia beta, Apple was forcing these apps to seek new permissions on a weekly basis, but decided to ease back to monthly requests after beta testers complained the prompts were far too frequent.
Nagging Macs
Why is Apple doing this? In the case of the screenshot/screen capture apps, it’s to guard against people surreptitiously installing snooping apps on your Mac. The monthly prompt might just alert you to someone eavesdropping on your system, such as a coercive partner.
Overall, the system is designed to prevent app developers running amok, forcing them to seek permission to access devices, folders or interact with other apps so that the user knows exactly what they’re up to.
It’s sensible in theory, but there is a danger that after repeatedly being confronted with permission-seeking pop-ups, users get tired and simply start clicking “Allow” on anything.
Europeans will be well used to this phenomenon when web browsing. EU regulations force website owners to seek permission from visitors before installing cookies on their machine, meaning almost every new website you visit asks you to click a button to accept or reject cookies.
German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported late last year that the EU was looking at amending the directive, having conceded that many Europeans suffered from “cookie fatigue” when endlessly asked to click boxes on websites.
macOS is already drawing unfavorable comparisons with the widely despised Windows Vista, which saw the introduction of User Account Control, where users were repeatedly prompted to give apps permission to perform certain tasks.
Microsoft eventually relented and made User Account Control less aggressive. Whether Apple – which makes a huge play about protecting its customers’ privacy – will do likewise is uncertain.