The macOS Accessibility permission, explained
What the Accessibility permission on a Mac lets an app do, why every window manager asks for it, how to grant or remove it, and how to judge an app that asks.
Sanjeev Maharjan6 min read
In short
Why an app that only moves windows needs a permission this broad, what it could do with it, and the questions to ask before you switch it on.
6 min read7 sections5 questions answered
On this page
The Accessibility permission lets one Mac app control another: read what is in its windows, move and resize them, and send it clicks and key presses. macOS has no narrower permission just for moving windows, so every window manager has to ask for this one. You grant it in System Settings, under Privacy & Security, then Accessibility, and you can take it back in the same place at any time.
The short version: the permission is broad, and a window manager needs only a small part of it. Since macOS cannot limit an app to that part, you are trusting what the app says it does. Grant it to apps that spell out what they read and what they send, and switch it off for apps you no longer use.
What the permission is
macOS was built so that assistive tools, such as screen readers and switch controls, can work with any app. To do that, the system lets an approved app see the parts of another app's interface (its windows, buttons, menus and text) and act on them.
The same door is the only one open to other kinds of tool: window managers, text expanders, automation apps and clipboard tools. Apple keeps it shut by default. An app has to ask, and you have to switch it on by hand in System Settings. No app can grant it to itself.
It is separate from two other permissions that people often mix up with it:
| Permission | What it allows | Does a window manager need it? |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | Reading and controlling other apps' windows and controls | Yes. Nothing else lets an app move another app's window |
| Screen Recording | Capturing what is shown on the screen, as pictures or video | Only to show pictures of your windows |
| Input Monitoring | Watching the keyboard while you use other apps | Not for shortcuts that are registered with macOS by name |
Why a window manager needs it
On a Mac each app owns its windows. Another app is not allowed to reach in and change one. The Accessibility permission is the exception: with it, an app can ask where a window is and how big it is, and set a new position and size.
That is all snapping is. To put a window on the left half of the screen, a window manager reads the size of the screen, works out the rectangle and sets the window's position and size to match. Without the permission the request is refused, which is why a window manager does nothing at all until you switch it on.
macOS's own tiling, added in macOS 15 Sequoia, needs no permission because it is part of the system. The guide on macOS Sequoia tiling or a window manager compares the two.
How to grant it, and how to take it back
- Open the app. It will tell you the permission is missing and offer to open System Settings.
- In System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, then Accessibility.
- Find the app in the list and switch it on. macOS may ask for your password or Touch ID.
- Go back to the app. Some apps need to be quit and opened again before they notice.
To take the permission back, switch the app off in the same list. To remove it from the list altogether, select it and click the minus button. An app that has lost the permission can no longer read or move anything.
What an app could do with it, and how to judge one
This is the uncomfortable part, and it is better said plainly. An app with the Accessibility permission is able to do far more than move windows. It could read text shown in other apps, or act inside them. macOS does not tell you which parts of the permission an app uses.
So the decision comes down to trust, and a few questions help:
- Does the maker say exactly what the app reads? "We respect your privacy" is not an answer. A list of what is read and what is never read is.
- Does it list every connection it makes to the internet? An app that sends nothing about your windows cannot leak them.
- Does it ask for more permissions than its job needs? A window manager that also wants Screen Recording or Input Monitoring should explain why.
- Do you still use it? Look through the Accessibility list now and then and switch off what you have stopped using.
What SnapForMac uses it for
SnapForMac is a window manager, so it asks for this permission on first launch and cannot snap anything until you switch it on. This is what it does with it, and what it never does:
| SnapForMac does | SnapForMac never does |
|---|---|
| Reads a window's position, size, title and the app it belongs to | Reads the text or contents inside another app's window |
| Sets a window's position and size, and brings it forward | Clicks in, types into or closes another app's window |
| Watches the mouse button and drags, to see a window being moved | Watches what you type. The keyboard is not part of what it listens to |
| Holds window titles in memory while the Snap Layouts bar is open | Saves, logs or sends a window title, or anything else about your windows |
Its keyboard shortcuts are registered with macOS as named key combinations, the way any Mac app registers one, so the app is told when one of them is pressed and nothing else. It does not ask for Screen Recording, which is why its Snap Layouts bar lists windows by app name and title and not as pictures. The app has no analytics and no account. The security page goes through this in full, and the privacy policy lists every connection the app makes.
The default shortcuts themselves are in the guide to Mac keyboard shortcuts for moving and resizing windows.
When the permission stops working
Sometimes a window manager says the permission is missing although its switch is on. Work through these in order:
- Look at the list again. After an update to macOS it is worth checking that the app is still switched on.
- Switch it off and on. Then quit the app and open it again.
- Remove it and add it back. Select the app in the Accessibility list, click the minus button, open the app and grant the permission afresh. An entry left over from an older copy of an app can look switched on while macOS no longer accepts it.
- Check there is one copy. Keep the app in the Applications folder and remove stray copies in Downloads, so the copy you open is the one you allowed.
If windows still will not move, the cause may be the window and not the permission: a window that is full screen, minimised or a dialog cannot be snapped. The support page lists the usual causes in the order worth checking, and the download page walks through granting the permission to SnapForMac.
Questions people ask
Is it safe to give an app the Accessibility permission?
It is as safe as the app is trustworthy. The permission is broad and macOS cannot narrow it, so give it only to apps whose makers state clearly what they read and send, and remove it from apps you stop using.
Why does a window manager need Accessibility just to move windows?
Because on a Mac an app may not change another app's window. The Accessibility permission is the one way macOS allows it, and there is no smaller permission that covers only position and size.
Can an app with the Accessibility permission see my passwords?
The permission is powerful enough that an app could read text in other windows, which is why trust matters. SnapForMac reads a window's position, size, title and owning app, and does not read the contents of any window.
Does the Accessibility permission let an app record my screen?
No. Capturing the screen as pictures or video is a separate permission, Screen Recording, with its own switch in Privacy & Security. SnapForMac does not ask for it.
How do I see which apps have the Accessibility permission?
Open System Settings, choose Privacy & Security, then Accessibility. Every app that has asked is listed with a switch. Switch off any you do not recognise or no longer use.
Written by Sanjeev Maharjan, who builds SnapForMac. Found a mistake? Write to [email protected].
Window snapping for the Mac, built for putting windows side by side.
- Halves, quarters and drag to snap are free
- A Snap Layouts bar with six layouts
- No account, and no key logging
