What I request
Shadow uses four macOS permissions. Each one has a specific purpose.
- Microphone: I hear your voice and in-room participants.
- System Audio: I hear the other participants in calls playing through your Mac.
- Screen Recording: I detect meeting windows and capture screenshots when a feature you enabled needs visual context.
- Accessibility: I paste Action Skill results at your cursor. It is also used by optional app-specific features such as Zoom speaker tags.
The old guide said Screen Recording was used only to detect windows and that Shadow never viewed the screen. That is no longer accurate: Smart Screenshot and screen-enabled Action Skills can capture visible content when you enable or run them.
Grant access during setup
- Select Allow beside each permission in Shadow.
- Complete the macOS prompt or the corresponding page in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
- Return to Shadow. The permission row updates when access is detected.
- If Shadow shows Restart, restart the app so macOS can apply the new grant.
Only continue after all four rows show as allowed.
Restore a permission later
Open System Settings → Privacy & Security, then check the relevant section:
- Microphone
- Screen & System Audio Recording
- Accessibility
Make sure the current Shadow app is enabled. If you replaced or moved the app after granting access, macOS may treat it as a different app. Remove stale entries if necessary, reopen Shadow from Applications, and grant access again.
Minimize access
Permissions make a feature possible; your feature settings decide when it is used. You can disable Autopilot, meeting-screen detection, screenshot context, or paste-at-cursor behavior where applicable. See Privacy and data leaving your Mac.