Screen recording permissions on Mac

How to give ScreenCameo screen recording permission on your Mac, and what the four optional permissions are for.

macOS asks you to allow each app that records the screen, the microphone or the camera. ScreenCameo needs only the screen recording permission on your Mac. The other four are optional, and ScreenCameo asks for each one when you first use it.

Allow screen recording on your Mac #

Screen Recording is the one permission ScreenCameo can’t work without. The same permission also covers Mac sound, so there is nothing extra to allow for it.

1. Click Allow next to Screen Recording. It’s in the welcome window, and in Settings → Privacy → Permissions.
2. The first time, macOS shows its own message. Follow it to System Settings.
3. In Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording, turn on ScreenCameo.
4. Back in ScreenCameo, click Relaunch ScreenCameo. macOS applies this permission only after the app starts again.

Without it, ScreenCameo can’t record. Starting a recording opens the Allow access window instead, and the Capture Bar shows Screen Recording is off.

Allow the microphone #

The microphone records your voice with the screen. Audio stays on your Mac.

1. Pick a microphone in the Capture Bar, in Home or in Settings → Recording. macOS asks right away.
2. Your first recording uses The Mac’s current input by default. If macOS hasn’t asked yet, it asks before the countdown.
3. Missed it? Click Fix… on the Microphone not allowed chip, or turn on ScreenCameo in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.

Without it, the video records with no voice. A message says so when the recording starts, and the editor’s Audio tab shows Fix…. Audio covers voice clean-up and music.

Allow the camera #

The camera puts your face in a bubble or a layout next to your screen. Video stays on your Mac.

1. Pick a camera with the camera button in the Capture Bar, or in Settings → Recording. macOS asks right away.
2. Missed it? Click Fix… on the Camera not allowed chip, or turn on ScreenCameo in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera.

Without it, the recording has no camera. Record Yourself in the editor needs the camera or the microphone too. Camera shows the layouts.

Allow Accessibility to resize windows #

ScreenCameo uses Accessibility only to resize and centre the window you record. It matters only in Window mode.

1. In the Capture Bar, choose Window, then a size under Resize the window to, or turn on Centre It on the Screen.
2. If Accessibility is off, the chip Accessibility needed to resize appears. Click Fix….
3. Turn on ScreenCameo in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.

Without it, the window is recorded at its current size and place. A message says The window wasn’t resized.

Allow Keystrokes to show your shortcuts #

Keystrokes lets ScreenCameo see which keys you press while recording. System Settings calls it Input Monitoring. It powers Detect typing & shortcuts, which is on by default in Settings → Recording.

1. Open Settings (Cmd+Comma) → Recording. Under Keyboard, click Allow… next to Needs the Keystrokes permission.
2. Turn on ScreenCameo in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring.
3. Click Relaunch ScreenCameo. Like Screen Recording, it works only after a relaunch.

Without it, recordings still work. But the shortcuts you press won’t show in the video, and you can’t speed up typing. Neither can be added to a recording afterwards.

Fix a permission from the Capture Bar #

When your setup needs a permission that’s off, the Capture Bar shows a warning chip next to its summary. Examples are Microphone not allowed and Keystrokes not allowed.

1. Click Fix… on the chip.
2. The first time, macOS shows its own prompt. After that, ScreenCameo opens the right page of System Settings.
3. Turn on ScreenCameo there.
4. For Screen Recording or Keystrokes, click Relaunch ScreenCameo in the message that appears.

Check all permissions at once #

1. Open Settings (Cmd+Comma) and click Privacy.
2. Under Permissions, each one says what it’s for. It shows Allowed, or an Allow button.
3. Or click the menu-bar icon → Permissions…. It opens the Allow access window from the first launch.

Screen recording not working on Mac #

1. Black or empty recording: Screen Recording is off, or hasn’t taken effect yet. Allow it as above, then click Relaunch ScreenCameo.
2. No voice or no camera in the video: microphone or camera access was off. Click Fix… in the editor’s Audio tab or on the Capture Bar chip, then record again.
3. No Mac sound: click Mac sound in the Capture Bar before you record, so the speaker shows waves.
4. Shortcuts missing from the video: allow Keystrokes and relaunch. Then record with Detect typing & shortcuts on.

Still stuck? Troubleshooting has more fixes, and Recording explains every Capture Bar option.

If something’s off#

I turned it on, but ScreenCameo still says it’s off

Screen Recording and Keystrokes start working only after a relaunch. Click Relaunch ScreenCameo, or quit from the menu-bar icon and open the app again.

macOS keeps asking me to confirm screen access

macOS asks again from time to time for every screen recorder. Choose to allow it.

Clicking Allow does nothing

macOS shows its prompt only once. After that, Allow opens System Settings. Look for that window behind ScreenCameo.