macOS 27.3 could change how you grant AI agents Full Disk Access, here's how - 9to5Mac

A change to permission requests

Apple said last month that a future macOS update would tighten privacy controls after AI agents sought Full Disk Access and, in some cases, mishandled users’ data without their full awareness. The company said apps would need “very explicit user action” to receive that permission.

In current macOS versions, a request to read a protected file is denied, but the app is then listed in Settings as an option for enabling Full Disk Access. Developers often direct users to that Settings page to switch on the permission.

What macOS 27.3 may do

Leaker pdfu said Apple plans to remove that pathway. Beginning with macOS 27.3, apps requesting files outside their permission scope may no longer be recorded, meaning they would not appear in Settings as a quick-toggle option.

The changes are still being developed. Developers can currently ask users to drag an app icon into the Settings panel to enable Full Disk Access, even when a feature flag for the reported change is active.

Questions about privacy

The change may not yet amount to the “very explicit user action” Apple described. The report says the drag-and-drop method remains available, though that could change as development continues.

The concern is that developers may still need Full Disk Access to reach data such as iMessage content. Users could end up granting broad access to share their texts with an AI agent, along with exposure to other personal data.

Possible scoped access option

pdfu also mentioned Private Folders, which might let users provide access only to a specific location, such as the iMessage database folder. Details about how the feature would work remain unclear. If Private Folders support that kind of limited permission, Full Disk Access might no longer be the default way to reach personal data.