macOS 27.3 increases security with changes to Full Disk Access
Macworld ·
Macworld Back in October, Apple announced a major security change to macOS. The change involves Full Disk Access (FDA), a permission that, when granted to an app requesting it, allows that app to access protected sections of macOS, such as data caches, mail, backups, and more. The change is coming in macOS 27.3, which has recently started its developer beta cycle and should be available as a public beta soon. As itspdfu points out in a post , users will need to make the extra effort to allow an app to have FDA. Users will have to go into System Settings > Privacy & Securit y > Full Disk Access and add the app manually. Previously, the app would be able to add itself to the FDA list and the installer would instruct users to simply toggle on FDA for it. macOS 27.3 starts implementing changes to Full Disk Access (FDA). Here’s what ‘very explicit user action’ may mean. When an app tries to read a protected file without FDA, macOS doesn’t prompt the user to grant permission. Instead, it automatically denies access and records that… https://t.co/zjUuEh7EIb — pdfu (@itspdfu) November 7, 2026 The reason for the change: AI. “As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially,” according to Apple in a developer blog post. “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.” Itspdfu also states that macOS 27.3 introduces “‘Private Folders,’ a new folder-by-folder permission configured like Full Disk Access.” However, this feature doesn’t seem to be fully capable as of yet. The macOS 27.3 beta 1 for developers was released on November 2. The official release of macOS 27.3 is expected in December.