Apple says it will tighten the way apps can be granted Full Disk Access on Mac, warning that the permission can expose highly sensitive data and that the risks are growing as AI agents become more capable and autonomous.
In an update published on the Apple Developer website, Apple said Full Disk Access largely bypasses the privacy controls normally used to protect user data in macOS. The permission is intended to allow apps such as backup software to function properly.
Apple says some developers are using Full Disk Access in ways that could put users at risk by exposing files, mail, messages and browsing history without users fully understanding the level of access being granted. The company now plans to introduce additional controls requiring more explicit user action before an app can receive the permission.
Full Disk Access is one of the broadest permissions available in macOS. Once granted, an app can reach data that would otherwise be protected behind separate privacy controls, making it particularly sensitive when software is designed to work across large parts of a user’s system.
Apple directly linked the upcoming changes to the rise of AI agents, saying the risks associated with this level of access will increase as agents become increasingly capable and autonomous. The company said it wants users to clearly understand those risks before deciding whether to grant an app access.
The concern is especially relevant to agentic AI software, which can carry out tasks across apps, files and services rather than simply responding to individual prompts. Giving that type of software broad disk access can therefore expose considerably more personal information than a traditional app may need for a single function.
Apple has already expanded artificial intelligence across the Mac with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, while continuing to position privacy as a central part of its approach to on-device and cloud-based AI processing.
Apple has not said exactly what the new Full Disk Access controls will look like or when they will arrive. For now, the company has only said that the additional protections will be introduced going forward, with the goal of making such broad access harder to grant without a deliberate and informed decision from the user.