Permissions
3 min read
macOS asks your permission before any app can record the screen or read text in other apps. Mochi needs three permissions. It asks for each one the first time you use the feature that requires it.
The three permissions
| Permission | Requested when | If you do not grant it |
|---|---|---|
| Screen Recording | Your first screenshot or recording | Screenshots, screen recording and the colour picker will not work. macOS blocks the capture itself. |
| Accessibility | Your first snippet expansion, or your first text correction | Snippets will not expand as you type, and the writing tools cannot read or replace your selection. Everything else works normally. |
| Camera and Microphone | Your first recording with the camera or microphone turned on | The recording still works. It just has no camera or audio track. |
What Mochi uses Accessibility for
Accessibility lets Mochi do three things:
- Read the text you have selected in another app.
- Replace that selection with corrected or translated text.
- See keystrokes as you type, so it can recognise a snippet trigger.
The following limits apply to all three:
- Mochi listens for keystrokes but cannot block or change them. Typing in other apps is unaffected.
- Nothing is recorded while a password field is active. macOS marks these fields, and Mochi checks on every keystroke.
- Keystrokes are not saved. Mochi keeps only the last few characters, to check whether they match a snippet trigger. That buffer is cleared when you press an arrow key, ↩, ⇥ or ⎋, click somewhere, switch apps, use any ⌘ shortcut, or stop typing for 20 seconds.
- None of it is sent anywhere. Snippets expand on your Mac. See What Mochi sends over the internet.
Grant a permission you skipped
Open System Settings > Privacy & Security
Then choose Screen & System Audio Recording, Accessibility, Camera or Microphone.
Turn on the switch next to Mochi
If Mochi is not listed, use the feature once in the app. Mochi is added to the list the first time it asks.
Restart Mochi if the feature still does not work
Most permissions take effect immediately. Screen Recording sometimes requires a restart. Quit Mochi from the menu bar and open it again.
Reset all permissions
If the permissions stop working correctly, usually after restoring from a backup or moving the app, you can clear them and start again. Run these commands in Terminal, then quit and reopen Mochi.
tccutil reset ScreenCapture com.mochiapp.MochiClear the Screen Recording permission
tccutil reset Accessibility com.mochiapp.MochiClear the Accessibility permission
tccutil reset Camera com.mochiapp.MochiClear the Camera permission
tccutil reset Microphone com.mochiapp.MochiClear the Microphone permission
Settings > General > Permissions > Restart onboarding takes you through granting them again, one at a time.
What Mochi does not ask for
- Full Disk Access. File search uses the same index as Spotlight.
- Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Photos or Location.
- A sign-in of any kind, including for the writing tools.
Is Mochi sandboxed?
No. Searching your home folder and launching other apps are not possible inside the App Store sandbox. Mochi is signed and notarised by Apple, and distributed directly from getmochi.app.
Can I use Mochi without granting anything?
Yes. Search, calculations, conversions, clipboard history and the small tools need no permissions. Screenshots and recording need Screen Recording, which is a macOS requirement.
Does automatic zoom in recordings need Accessibility?
No. Mochi can read mouse position and clicks without it, and those are enough to plan the zooms. Accessibility is only needed for typing detection and the on-screen keystroke display.