New turn in Apple Full Disk Access change for AI agents

Apple said it will add limits to app access in a macOS update. Some AI agents that got Full Disk Access used user data when the user did not know.

Apple will change how apps get Full Disk Access on a Mac. This permission lets an app read all data on the computer. Apple said that apps will get it only after very explicit user action. Leaker pdfu says in a post on X that the first change can start in macOS 27.3. The work is in development and can change.

How it works

At this time, macOS does not let an app open protected data. It also adds the app to the Full Disk Access part of Settings. The developer then tells the user to move the toggle. Pdfu says macOS 27.3 will stop this.

The numbers

Apple gave no test results and no numbers. The only number is the version 27.3, which comes from pdfu. Also, with the change on, a developer can tell the user to pull an app icon into the Settings panel.

What is not known

Apple did not make clear the step very explicit user action. One Mac writer is not sure that the change is sufficient. Developers want Full Disk Access to get iMessage data, and there is no other method. Pdfu also names Private Folders, which can give access to one folder only. Information is not complete.

Insight: Platforms fight to control agent permissions

Microsoft makes agents start with no access and gives only the access that a task must have. The Mac has one wide permission, and developers want it to get iMessage data. Maybe the platforms work to set the agent permission standard: the first to give small access can set it. Leaders who select a platform for agents must compare how much each one limits access.