macOS Permissions
Computer Use needs explicit macOS permissions to do its job. None are requested until the first time a feature needs them.
The four permissions
| Permission | What it lets the daemon do | When it's asked |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | Read the AX tree of any app, click and type into other windows | First time any Computer Use action runs |
| Screen Recording | Capture pixel-accurate screenshots of other apps | First time skyshot runs |
| AppleEvents (Automation) | Drive specific apps via AppleScript (Mail, Calendar, Music adapters) | First time one of those adapters runs |
| Microphone | Listen for voice input (not a Computer Use feature per se, but commonly enabled at the same time) | First time you press the mic in the composer |
The daemon does not ask for camera, full disk access, contacts, calendars (for reading), or any other privacy-sensitive permission. Computer Use does not need them.
Granting Accessibility
This is the most important one. Without it the daemon can do nothing.
- The first Computer Use action you try will show a "Permission required" card in chat.
- The card has a button Open System Settings.
- macOS opens to Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
- Ghast AI is in the list with its toggle off. Flip it on.
- macOS asks for your password / Touch ID to confirm.
- Return to Ghast and click Retry on the action card.
If you skip the system-settings deep-link, you can find it at:
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility → +…and add Applications/Ghast AI.app manually.
Granting Screen Recording
Same flow but in Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording. Required only for skyshot and any tool that returns a screenshot. Without it, AX-only tools (click by AX selector, type into the focused field) still work.
Granting AppleEvents
When the agent uses an AppleEvent-based adapter (Mail compose, Calendar create_event, Music control), macOS will prompt with:
"Ghast AI" wants access to control "<App>".
Click OK. The grant is per-app — granting access to control Mail does not grant access to control Calendar.
You can review and revoke individual AppleEvent permissions in Privacy & Security → Automation.
Granting Microphone
Standard macOS prompt the first time you tap the mic in the composer. Same revoke path.
Revoking later
All permissions are revokable at any time in System Settings → Privacy & Security. After revoking:
- Accessibility revoked → all Computer Use actions fail with
permission_denieduntil re-granted. - Screen Recording revoked →
skyshotreturns a partial result (window list without pixel data) or a typed error. - AppleEvents per-app revoked → the corresponding adapter falls back to generic click/type if possible, otherwise fails.
The desktop client surfaces permission state in Settings → Computer Use, with a shield icon per permission and a "Reconfirm" button that re-deep-links to the right system settings page.
What if I'm on a managed Mac?
Some managed Macs (MDM-controlled) require an admin to pre-approve Accessibility / Screen Recording via a configuration profile. If your IT department has not done that, you will not be able to grant the permissions yourself. Ask them to add ai.ghast.desktop to the PPPC payload.