macOS Sequoia, the upcoming update for compatible Macs, introduces a very annoying feature — a monthly pop-up prompt that users must click on, with no option to disable it.
If you use screen-recording apps like Record It or OBS Studio on one of the best Macs running macOS Sequoia, you’ll encounter a pop-up message stating, “App is requesting to bypass the system's private window picker and directly access your screen and audio. This will allow the app to record your screen and system audio, including personal or sensitive information that may be visible or audible.”
Clicking ‘Allow For One Month’ will close the pop-up and will allow you to use the screen-recording app of your choice. However, the permission will expire after 30 days, causing the pop-up window to reappear. It’s worth mentioning that this is better than previous beta releases of macOS Sequoia, where this window appeared weekly, but was quickly changed due to user feedback.
If any of this sounds familiar to you, Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system had something similar when it was released way back in 2006. Called ‘User Account Control’ (UAC), this feature tried to improve security in Windows by letting users know of any major changes, such as new apps being installed, opening the Command Prompt app, and much more. UAC’s frequent pop-ups annoyed users so much that Microsoft relaxed the feature in Windows 7 debuted in 2009, and it’s now barely noticeable in Windows 11.
Apple hasn’t explained why this prompt exists in macOS Sequoia, nor clarified why it’s specific to screen-recording apps. As it stands, the feature is more of an annoyance than a benefit, and many are hoping that Apple will change its mind about this prompt before the update is released.
macOS Sequoia is expected to launch for compatible Macs later this year.
Role-reversal much?
This new prompt in macOS Sequoia is more apparent when you watch the above video. In 2006 at WWDC, Apple’s developer conference, the company made a point of mocking Microsoft for ‘copying’ macOS Leopard with Windows Vista. For five whole minutes, Apple spoke about how Vista borrowed features such as widgets and desktop search.
Almost 20 years later, Apple is introducing a feature in macOS that no one asked for or needed. macOS Sequoia is still in the testing phase, so if you’re using the public beta and you’ve come across this prompt as you launch a screen-recording app, be sure to use the Feedback Assistant app so you can share your frustrations with Apple.
