Apple Announces 'Full Disk Access' Changes on macOS Due to AI Agents

In a post on its developer news website today, Apple announced that it will be introducing "additional controls" for the "Full Disk Access" setting on macOS due to new risks posed by AI agents. This announcement comes amid the rise of always-on AI agents like Meta’s Muse and OpenAI’s Dots, which have prompted privacy concerns. "Some developers are using Full Disk Access in ways that could put users at risk, exposing everything on their systems—including files, mail, messages, and even browsing history—without users’ full knowledge and understanding," said Apple.

"As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially," it added. Here is the full text of Apple’s announcement: We give developers powerful APIs to build incredible capabilities into their apps for Apple products, backed by a set of controls designed to protect users’ private data. Full Disk Access largely sidesteps these controls to allow backup apps to function properly on the Mac.

For communication apps, this can also compromise the privacy of the people users are communicating with. Going forward, we will introduce additional controls to ensure that users who genuinely wish to grant an app this extraordinary level of access can only do so with very explicit user action. Addressing this is critical.

There’s an increasingly high cost to convenience. Apple sounds the alarm on AI agents and ‘Full Disk Access’.

Amid the rapid rise in AI agents requesting “Full Disk Access” to your Mac, Apple says it is making changes to macOS to protect user privacy. While the company hasn’t shared specifics, Apple says users should understand what it means to give an app such “extraordinary” access to their Mac.

Big Tech Apple Apple sounds the alarm on AI agents and ‘Full Disk Access’ The company says some AI developers are risking their users’ privacy. In an update, the company warned that the increasingly popular tools "could put users at risk," and that it would add "additional controls" to the process to ensure users are aware of what they’re doing when they grant software such "extraordinary" access.

Apple says it’s tightening macOS privacy controls amid the rise of AI agents. Apple commissions photographers for new ‘Shot on iPhone Duo’ campaign Marcus Mendes Oct 1 2026.

The company didn’t say when the update would roll out or what exactly would change from the current setup. But in its note, the Cupertino company implied that some developers of AI agents are not being upfront with users about the privacy tradeoffs that come with using their software.

"For communication apps, this can also compromise the privacy of the people users are communicating with." Desktop clients for AI agents, like OpenClaw, Dots and Muse, often encourage users to grant "Full Disk Access" so the agents can access their files, messages and other data. This allows AI agents to accomplish more kinds of tasks, but it also comes with significant risks.

That’s why some people opt to use agents on dedicated machines, which has helped fuel Mac Mini shortages this year.

We are committed to ensuring users clearly understand these risks before granting such access, so they can make informed decisions about their own data and privacy. Apple did not say when the new "Full Disk Access" controls will be implemented.

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