In short
- The setting lives in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording on macOS 15, 26 and 27.
- Quit and reopen the app after changing the permission: many apps only pick it up on relaunch.
- If it keeps asking, an old copy of the same app often holds the permission. Delete the extra copies.
- tccutil reset ScreenCapture followed by the app's bundle ID clears the decision for that one app, so it asks again cleanly.
- Always include the bundle ID: without it, the command resets screen recording for every app.
If screen recording permission isn’t working on your Mac, the fix is usually one of these: quit and reopen the app, remove it from and add it again, delete any old copies of the app, or reset its permission in Terminal with tccutil reset ScreenCapture and the app’s bundle ID. Then restart.
Below are the fixes in order, from 10 seconds to 5 minutes, and the cause we ran into ourselves while building JustRec, which none of the obvious fixes solved.
The symptoms
You’ll recognize at least one of these:
| Symptom | Start with |
|---|---|
| The app asks for permission every time you open it, even though its switch is on | Fix 4: delete old copies, then fix 5 |
| The switch is on, but the app says it has no permission | Fix 1: quit and reopen the app |
| Recordings are black, or show only the wallpaper and the menu bar | Fixes 1 to 3; also check the Mac didn’t lock |
| The app isn’t in the list at all, even after you allowed it | Fix 3: add it with the + button |
All of them point at the same thing: macOS’s stored decision for that app doesn’t match the app you’re actually running.
Where the permission lives
- Open System Settings. Choose .
- Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
- Click Screen & System Audio Recording. You may need to scroll down.
- Find the app and check its switch. An app can be allowed to record the screen and audio, or only audio.
The pane has this name in macOS 15 Sequoia, 26 Tahoe and 27. On older versions, such as macOS 13 Ventura, it was simply called Screen Recording.
Fixes, from fastest to most thorough
Try them in this order and test after each one.
- Quit the app completely and reopen it. Use ⌘Q or right-click its Dock icon and choose Quit; closing the window isn’t enough. Many apps only see a new permission after a relaunch. Menu bar apps usually have Quit in their menu.
- Switch the permission off and on again. In Screen & System Audio Recording, turn the app’s switch off, then on, and relaunch the app.
- Remove the app and add it again. Select the app in the list and click the Remove button (−) below it. Then click Add (+), go to the Applications folder, select the app and click Open. Make sure its switch is on.
- Delete old copies of the app. Search for the app’s name in Spotlight or the Finder and look for duplicates: an older version in Downloads, a copy inside a mounted disk image, a test build. Keep the one in Applications, move the rest to the Trash and empty it. Then repeat step 3.
- Reset the permission with tccutil. This clears macOS’s stored decision for that one app (details below).
- Restart the Mac. Then open the app, allow it when asked, and try a short recording.
What happened to us: the permission went to the wrong copy
While building JustRec, our app asked for screen recording permission on every launch. The switch in System Settings was on. Turning it off and on did nothing.
The cause was an old development copy of the app, with the same identity (the bundle ID) as the real one in Applications. macOS had tied the permission to that old copy. So the list said “allowed”, and it was, just not for the copy we were running.
What fixed it was two steps from the list above: deleting every extra copy, then resetting the permission with tccutil. After that, the app asked once, we allowed it, and it never asked again.
Resetting with tccutil, carefully
macOS keeps your privacy choices in a privacy database. tccutil is Apple’s Terminal command for it; its manual page describes reset as clearing the decisions for a service, “causing apps to prompt again the next time they access the service”. If you add a bundle ID, only that app is reset.
- Quit the app you want to reset.
- Find its bundle ID. Open Terminal (in ) and run
osascript -e 'id of app "AppName"', replacing AppName with the app’s name as it appears in Applications. For QuickTime Player, this printscom.apple.QuickTimePlayerX. - Reset screen recording for that app only. Run
tccutil reset ScreenCapture com.example.app, with the bundle ID you found instead ofcom.example.app. - Open the app again and click Allow when macOS asks. If it sends you to System Settings, turn its switch on there.
On macOS 27, tccutil also has a list command that reports current privacy authorizations, which is handy to confirm what macOS has stored. Run man tccutil in Terminal for the options on your version.
Prompts that aren’t a bug
Not every prompt means something is broken:
- The first time an app records, macOS shows a dialog asking you to allow it. That’s expected, once per app.
- After you change the permission, macOS may ask you to quit and reopen the app. Do it.
- On recent macOS, a reminder may appear asking whether an app should keep access to your screen, even for apps you allowed long ago. Apple’s user guide doesn’t describe this alert or how often it shows up. If it’s an app you use, allow it and carry on.
- Audio only: an app can be allowed to record just your system audio, without the screen. That’s a choice in the same pane, not an error.
If you see a request from an app you don’t recognize, don’t allow it: screen recording access lets an app see everything on your screen. Our screen recording privacy checklist covers the rest of what to keep off camera.
If it still doesn’t work
A few less common causes:
- The recording is black even with permission. The Mac may have locked during the recording: a locked Mac gives recorders only the wallpaper. Keep it awake for long takes.
- No sound, but the picture is fine. That’s a different problem. See how to screen record on Mac with internal audio.
- Some apps’ windows are missing. Some apps, such as the Apple TV app, don’t allow their windows to be recorded at all.
- The app is outdated. An app built for an older macOS may not handle the current permission system. Update it.
For lag, dropped frames and other problems, our Mac screen recording troubleshooting guide covers the rest. If you’re curious about how a recorder talks to macOS behind the scenes, we wrote up what we learned building with ScreenCaptureKit.
The short version
Quit and reopen the app. If that fails, remove it from Screen & System Audio Recording and add it back. If it still keeps asking, look for old copies, delete them, and run tccutil reset ScreenCapture with the app’s bundle ID. Restart, allow it once, and you’re done. For everything else about recording your screen, start with how to screen record on Mac.
Sources
- Apple Support, Mac User Guide: Control access to screen and system audio recording on Mac (macOS 15, 26 and 27 versions), checked November 2026.
- Apple Support, Mac User Guide: Allow apps to use screen and audio recording, checked November 2026.
- Apple Support, Mac User Guide: Control access to screen recording on Mac (macOS 13), checked November 2026.
- Apple Support: What’s new for enterprise in macOS Golden Gate 27 (the new tccutil list command), checked November 2026.
- tccutil(1) manual page, run
man tccutilin Terminal on macOS 15, checked November 2026. - Apple Support: How to record the screen on Mac, checked November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my Mac keep asking for screen recording permission?
Most often the permission was granted to a different copy of the app with the same identity, like an older download or a copy on a disk image. Delete the extra copies, remove the app from the list and add it again, or reset its permission with tccutil.
Where is the screen recording permission on Mac?
In System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording, on macOS 15 Sequoia, 26 Tahoe and 27. You may need to scroll down the Privacy & Security list to find it.
Is tccutil reset safe?
Yes, if you add the app's bundle ID. It only clears the screen recording decision for that app, which then asks again next time. Without a bundle ID it clears the decision for every app, so you'd have to allow each one again.
Why is my screen recording black or only showing the wallpaper?
Usually the app doesn't have screen recording permission, so it can't see the windows on screen. It also happens if the Mac locks during the recording.
