Apple will introduce additional controls for Full Disk Access in macOS, so that users can grant an app access to the entire system only through "very explicit user action," according to a post titled "Updates to Full Disk Access in macOS" published on Apple's developer website on October 2, 2026.
Apple names the growing capabilities of AI agents as a main reason for the change. The new controls are not yet available, and Apple has not given a release date or macOS version.
Full Disk Access is a permission that largely sidesteps the privacy controls Apple builds into macOS. Apple says the permission exists so that backup apps, which need to read the whole disk, can work properly on the Mac.
Why Apple Is Tightening Full Disk Access #
Apple says some developers now use Full Disk Access in ways that put users at risk. Granting it can expose everything on a system, including files, mail, messages, and browsing history, often without users fully understanding what they have agreed to.
The company also points to a second group affected by the permission. When a communication app holds Full Disk Access, Apple says the privacy of the people the user is talking to can be compromised as well.
AI agents are the clearest driver. Apple writes that as agents become "increasingly capable and autonomous," the risks tied to this level of access "will grow substantially."
AI agents are built to act on a user's behalf, and to do that they often request near-total access to a computer, including messages, files, passwords, and accounts. An agent with that access can be manipulated through a poisoned prompt hidden on a website, which can hand attackers access to the data the agent controls.
Agents are also getting easier to install. OpenAI launched its always-on Dots agents at the end of September, and an earlier wave of agent projects such as Moltbot led some buyers to purchase Mac minis specifically to run them. OpenAI's agent plans were also visible in its always-on ChatGPT assistant for Pro subscribers.
Apple says it wants users to "clearly understand these risks before granting such access, so they can make informed decisions about their own data and privacy." The developer post does not describe how the new controls will look or which steps users will need to take.
Mac users do not need to wait for the change to reduce their exposure. Apple's own description of the permission gives a practical rule: Full Disk Access is meant for backup apps.
Users can review which apps currently hold the permission and remove it from any app that is not a backup tool and does not clearly need access to every file, message, and mail on the Mac. That includes AI agent apps that asked for full access during setup.
Apple has not said when the additional controls will ship, whether existing Full Disk Access grants will be reset, or how developers of backup apps will be affected.