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How to Check Which Apps Have Full Disk Access on a Mac

See which apps appear under Full Disk Access on your Mac, with steps for current macOS and macOS 12 or earlier.
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On macOS 13 and later, open Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access. The apps shown there are the entries to review.

Check the Full Disk Access list

  1. Click the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
  2. Select Privacy & Security in the sidebar. Scroll the sidebar if needed.
  3. Choose Full Disk Access.
  4. Review the apps displayed in that category.

Apple describes Full Disk Access as allowing apps to access all files on the Mac, including data from other apps such as Mail, Messages, Safari, and Home; Time Machine backups; and certain administrative settings for all users. The [Apple Support guide to Privacy & Security settings] explains this permission and where to manage it.

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Use the route for your macOS version

On macOS 12 and earlier, open System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Full Disk Access. For macOS 13 and later, Apple’s version guidance uses System Settings and the Privacy & Security pane; the current Mac User Guide lists Full Disk Access directly in that sidebar. See Apple’s [macOS app access guide] for the version distinction.

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Full Disk Access is different from Files & Folders

If you want to check whether an app can access a particular location, open Privacy & Security > Files & Folders instead. That is a separate category for locations such as Desktop, Downloads, and Documents; it is not the Full Disk Access list. Apple’s [guide to file and folder access] describes the location-specific controls.

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If the setting is unavailable

If you cannot change the setting, particularly on a work- or school-managed Mac, check with your organization’s administrator. Apple’s cited guidance explains where these privacy controls are, but does not specify how every device-management policy affects editing.

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