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macOS permission problems

In brief

Sometimes a macOS permission is granted (the toggle is on), but Whisperer still behaves as if it isn't: you can't hear the other person, hotkeys don't fire, screenshots aren't taken. These are typical quirks of the macOS privacy mechanism (TCC): it caches decisions and applies them only after the app restarts, and sometimes it "loses" trust in an app after an update.

Here's what to do if the toggle is on but doesn't work; if the app isn't in the Privacy list; and if the permission wizard loops. At the end — a short checklist for each of the three permissions.

When to use this

  • The toggle is on, but the feature doesn't work.
  • Whisperer doesn't appear in the relevant Privacy & Security section.
  • The permission wizard (PermissionWizard) opens over and over, not counting the permission as granted.
  • The problem appeared after a macOS update, a reinstall, or moving the app.

Step-by-step

The toggle is on, but it doesn't work

  1. Restart the app. Fully quit Whisperer (Cmd+Q) and open it again. Most permissions, especially "Screen Recording", apply only after a restart.
  2. Re-grant the permission. System Settings → Privacy & Security → the relevant section → turn off the Whisperer toggle, then turn it on again. Restart the app.
  3. Remove it and add it back. If re-granting didn't help: in the same section, select Whisperer and remove it from the list with the "−" (minus) button. Then launch Whisperer again — it will request access again; grant it and restart the app.
  4. Make sure you're fixing the right permission. Check against the checklist table below: symptom → permission.
  5. Reset TCC (caution, last resort). If nothing helps, you can reset the privacy cache for the app with a command in Terminal. It's safest to do this targeted to a specific service rather than globally:
    • tccutil reset ScreenCapture — resets "Screen Recording" (for all apps);
    • tccutil reset Microphone — resets microphone access;
    • tccutil reset Accessibility — resets "Accessibility". Warning: the command resets the permission for all apps in that category, and you'll have to grant them again. Do it deliberately, then restart Whisperer and go through the permission wizard again.

The app isn't in the Privacy list

  1. Close the section and launch Whisperer — the app should request access itself, after which it appears in the list.
  2. If it didn't appear, perform an action in the app that requires access (start a session for screen recording/microphone, press a hotkey for Accessibility). This triggers the system prompt.
  3. Make sure you're launching the app from the Applications folder, not a temporary copy from Downloads — otherwise the "wrong" copy may end up in the list.

The permission wizard is stuck in a loop

  1. The wizard counts a permission as granted only after the system actually applies it. If it "doesn't see" a granted toggle, restart the app (and the wizard along with it).
  2. If the loop is on "Screen Recording", that's the most common case: macOS requires a restart to recognize the permission. Quit Whisperer and open it again.
  3. If the wizard is still looping, re-grant the permission (turn it off/on), then restart. As a last resort — reset TCC for the relevant service (see above).

Checklist for the three permissions

Symptom Permission Section in System Settings
Can't hear the other person, no screenshots Screen Recording Privacy & Security → Screen Recording
Your voice isn't recorded ([Me] empty) Microphone Privacy & Security → Microphone
Hotkeys don't work Accessibility Privacy & Security → Accessibility

Screenshots

📸 [Screenshot: removing Whisperer from the list with the "−" button and adding it back in Privacy & Security]

📸 [Screenshot: Terminal with the command tccutil reset ScreenCapture (caution warning)]

📸 [Screenshot: the permission wizard stopped at the "Screen Recording" step with a prompt to restart]

Common mistakes

  • Forgetting to restart the app. Reason #1 why a "granted" permission doesn't work — especially "Screen Recording".
  • A global tccutil reset when it isn't needed. Resetting a category affects all apps; use it only as a last resort and targeted to a service.
  • Multiple copies of the app. A copy in Downloads and a copy in Applications get different TCC entries. Keep one copy — in Applications.
  • Fixing the wrong permission. Check against the checklist: the symptom points unambiguously to the right toggle.

Best practices

  • Always try the simplest thing first: restart the app, then re-grant the toggle, and only then remove it from the list or use tccutil.
  • After a macOS update, check all three toggles ahead of time — OS updates sometimes reset trust.
  • Keep a single copy of Whisperer in the Applications folder.
  • Leave tccutil for the very end and apply it to a specific service (ScreenCapture/Microphone/Accessibility), not globally.

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