Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording, enable the app, then quit and reopen it. Names vary across macOS releases, and managed Macs may prohibit the change. First, confirm the requesting app and publisher before granting access.
What this covers
- A current Mac app that needs to capture or share the display
What it does not cover
Try in this order
0 of 9 completedEstablish the exact starting state
ReversibleConfirm the requesting app and publisher before granting access.
Separate the fault or decision boundary
ReversibleDistinguish screen capture from Accessibility, Camera, Microphone and Files permissions.
Apply the narrowest correction
ReversibleEnable only the required app in the matching privacy panel and restart it.
Check that you trust the app and know why it asks
ReversibleScreen recording lets an app see everything on your screen, including other windows. Confirm the app and its publisher are the ones you installed, and grant the permission only to an app that needs it for its purpose.
Open the right privacy panel for this permission
ReversibleGo to System Settings, Privacy & Security, then Screen & System Audio Recording or Screen Recording, depending on your macOS version. Do not confuse it with the Camera, Microphone, Accessibility or Files permissions, which control different things.
Turn on the app, then quit and reopen it
ReversibleSwitch on the toggle for the app and enter your password if asked. The app must be restarted for the change to take effect, and if the setting is grayed out, a management profile on a work or school Mac may prohibit it.
Open Privacy & Security, then Screen & System Audio Recording
ReversibleEach app that has asked for access is listed with a switch. Turn on only the ones you trust.
Choose screen and audio, or audio only
ReversibleApple lets you allow an app to record both screen and audio, or just audio. Pick the narrower option if the app only needs sound.
Verify before escalating
ReversibleShare a test window and confirm audio/microphone separately.
macOS
How Apple lets you control screen recording per app
Access is per app, and an app can be allowed to record the screen and audio or just the audio.
- Path
- Apple menu, System Settings, Privacy & Security in the sidebar, then Screen & System Audio Recording.
- Per-app control
- For each app listed you turn recording on or off, and you can allow an app to record both screen and audio, or only audio.
- Adding an app
- Use the add button below the list and choose the app.
- Privacy
- Apple says information collected by third-party apps and websites that record your screen and audio is governed by their own terms and privacy policies.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Turn the permission off for any app that you do not recognize and consider it a security matter if an unknown app appears in the list.
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Official Apple setup, settings, maintenance and repair-support entry point; use the device and OS version shown on the page.
Path, per-app toggles, adding apps, privacy note.
Exact questions
Common questions about “Allow screen recording or screen sharing for one Mac app”
Why doesn't the app appear in the Screen Recording list?+
Some apps appear only after they have asked for access once. Open the app, try to record or share, and then check the list again.
Do I need to give separate permission for sound?+
Screen sharing and audio can be separate permissions on some macOS versions. Test the sound separately after allowing the screen.
Is it safe to allow screen recording?+
Only for apps you trust, since they can see all of your screen. Review the list from time to time and turn off apps you no longer use.
Why is the setting grayed out?+
A work or school profile may control it. Ask the administrator, since you cannot override it on a managed Mac.
Who is responsible for what a recording app collects?+
Apple says that information is governed by the third party's own terms and privacy policy, so review it before allowing access.
Why does the app need a restart?+
macOS applies the permission when the app relaunches.
Can a managed Mac block this?+
Yes. Work or school Macs may restrict permissions through management profiles.
How do I remove permission later?+
Turn the app off in the same list and restart it.