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clawdbot/docs/platforms/mac/permissions.md
2026-01-07 00:45:46 +01:00

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---
summary: "macOS permission persistence (TCC) and signing requirements"
read_when:
- Debugging missing or stuck macOS permission prompts
- Packaging or signing the macOS app
- Changing bundle IDs or app install paths
---
# macOS permissions (TCC)
macOS permission grants are fragile. TCC associates a permission grant with the
app's code signature, bundle identifier, and on-disk path. If any of those change,
macOS treats the app as new and may drop or hide prompts.
## Requirements for stable permissions
- Same path: run the app from a fixed location (for Clawdbot, `dist/Clawdbot.app`).
- Same bundle identifier: changing the bundle ID creates a new permission identity.
- Signed app: unsigned or ad-hoc signed builds do not persist permissions.
- Consistent signature: use a real Apple Development or Developer ID certificate
so the signature stays stable across rebuilds.
Ad-hoc signatures generate a new identity every build. macOS will forget previous
grants, and prompts can disappear entirely until the stale entries are cleared.
## Recovery checklist when prompts disappear
1. Quit the app.
2. Remove the app entry in System Settings -> Privacy & Security.
3. Relaunch the app from the same path and re-grant permissions.
4. If the prompt still does not appear, reset TCC entries with `tccutil` and try again.
5. Some permissions only reappear after a full macOS restart.
Example resets (replace bundle ID as needed):
```bash
sudo tccutil reset Accessibility com.clawdbot.mac
sudo tccutil reset ScreenCapture com.clawdbot.mac
sudo tccutil reset AppleEvents
```
If you are testing permissions, always sign with a real certificate. Ad-hoc
builds are only acceptable for quick local runs where permissions do not matter.