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Manage Eney’s Mac permissions in System Settings > Privacy & Security. Use Full Disk Access for file searches and file tasks, Contacts for contact-based requests, Microphone for voice and Meeting Assistant recording, Screen Recording for Eney Wand, and Accessibility for supported Mac interactions and browser-context suggestions. You can switch every permission off again in the same settings categories.
What you need before changing permissions
The instructions below apply to Eney’s Mac app. Eney’s current product information targets Apple silicon (M-series) Macs running macOS 15 or later. The installation handbook describes Apple Silicon support and an internet requirement. Eney’s Mac distribution is through Setapp, and the product page documents plans that use AI credits. Check your Setapp account and the plan’s credit terms if a feature appears available but a request is not completing; a missing permission and an exhausted credit allowance are different problems.
Start Eney once so macOS can display the requests. Eney may ask for Accessibility and Full Disk Access during first launch. You may need Touch ID or an administrator password to change some switches. If you dismissed a prompt, grant the access manually from System Settings > Privacy & Security. Permission names can vary slightly between macOS releases; for example, Screen Recording may appear as Screen & System Audio Recording.
Use the Mac app’s current installation rather than assuming an older copy has the same authorization. If you have more than one Eney entry in a category, enable the one that matches the app you actually open. Quit and reopen Eney after changing a switch so the app reloads its authorization state.
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How macOS permission decisions work
Each category controls a different kind of data or interaction. Full Disk Access is a broad file-level authorization; Contacts, Microphone, and Screen Recording are separate controls. Accessibility is also separate and is intended for supported user-interface interactions. Turning on one switch does not silently turn on the others.
A macOS grant is not the same as unlimited, automatic action. Eney says it asks before acting on your behalf. After a read-only capability is authorized, tools such as searching your Mac or reading a file may not ask again. Creating, changing, sending, or deleting generally prompts first, unless you have allowed those actions for the current chat or globally in Eney’s Settings. This distinction explains why a file can be found successfully while an edit still waits for confirmation.
Grant or review Eney’s permissions
1. Full Disk Access for files and folders
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Select Privacy & Security.
- Open Full Disk Access.
- Find Eney and turn its switch on. Authenticate with Touch ID or your administrator password if macOS asks.
- Quit and reopen Eney before trying the file task again.
Full Disk Access is the broad macOS control documented for Eney’s file work. It allows the Mac-level searches and file operations Eney needs when you explicitly ask it to find or use files. It is not a request to give Eney unrestricted authority to change everything: Eney’s privacy notice says it asks before acting on your behalf, and creating, changing, sending, or deleting generally requires confirmation unless you have allowed those actions for the current chat or globally in Settings.
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Eney says that reading files and searching your Mac happen locally through its built-in tools. Depending on the request, the resulting file contents or other tool results can then be sent to an AI provider to produce an answer. Enable Full Disk Access only if you need file-based tasks, and avoid asking Eney to search locations containing information you do not want included in a request. A practical approach is to keep sensitive archives, personnel folders, or private client material outside the locations you routinely ask Eney to search.
Full Disk Access is broader than a single file-picker approval. If you need Eney to work with one document only, consider whether a narrower workflow—such as opening that document and asking about the visible content—meets your goal without a standing, broad authorization. macOS still controls the switch at the system level, so you can turn it off as soon as the file task is complete.
2. Accessibility for Mac interactions
- In System Settings, open Privacy & Security.
- Choose Accessibility.
- Locate Eney and turn it on when a feature requires the permission.
- Return to Eney and retry the action.
Accessibility is separate from Full Disk Access. It supports Mac interactions that need to inspect or work with the user interface. Eney’s privacy notice also says proactive suggestions can use the domain of the active browser tab when Accessibility access has been granted. That is domain-level browser context, not a reason to assume that every page or password field is exposed, but it is still a signal some users prefer not to provide continuously.
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If you do not use features that need interface access or proactive browser-context suggestions, leave this switch off. If you enable it for a particular workflow, close unrelated browser tabs and avoid leaving confidential sites active while testing proactive suggestions. Revoke the permission after the workflow if you do not want ongoing interface access.
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- Open System Settings > Privacy & Security.
- Select Contacts.
- Turn the switch beside Eney on to permit access, or off to withdraw it.
Contacts access lets Eney read contacts for a requested task. Eney’s privacy notice groups contacts with other macOS data sources—such as Mail, Calendar, Reminders, apps, and files—that it can read with your permission to do what you ask. A contacts permission does not by itself grant access to your microphone or screen; those are independent controls.
Before enabling Contacts, decide whether the task really needs a person’s address, phone number, company, or other address-book fields. Ask for a narrowly defined result rather than a broad contact search when possible. Remember that a requested task can produce contact data as a tool result that may be sent for cloud processing when an AI provider is needed to answer.
4. Microphone for voice and Meeting Assistant
- Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone.
- Find Eney and turn the switch on.
- Reopen Eney or restart the feature that requested the microphone.
The microphone permission enables voice features and Meeting Assistant. Eney says Meeting Assistant captures your microphone and the meeting app’s sound, so a recording includes the voices of all participants, not just your own. Tell participants that recording is taking place and obtain consent when the law where you or the participants are located requires it. A microphone grant is therefore more sensitive than a normal voice-input toggle: it can include other people’s speech and the meeting application’s audio.
Use the permission only for the meeting or voice task. Mute or stop Meeting Assistant when you are finished, and switch Eney off under Microphone if you will not use it again soon. The macOS switch does not replace a meeting platform’s own recording indicator or your organization’s recording policy. Check both before starting.
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- Open System Settings > Privacy & Security.
- Select Screen Recording. On some macOS versions the category is labelled Screen & System Audio Recording.
- Turn on Eney and authenticate if prompted.
- Quit and reopen Eney if Wand still reports that access is unavailable.
Eney Wand requires Screen Recording permission. Eney says Wand works only when you start it—for example with its keyboard shortcut, by shaking the cursor, or from the + menu—and captures the screen area you select. It can recognize text in that area. When the action you choose needs an AI provider, Eney may send recognized text or a screenshot to that provider.
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Screen Recording is not a statement that Wand watches continuously. It runs when you invoke it, but the selected region can still contain email, account numbers, notifications, or confidential documents. Select the smallest useful region, move private windows out of view, and review what is visible before submitting an action. If Wand is only needed occasionally, turn the switch off afterward.
Permission scope at a glance
| Permission | What it enables | Scope and sensitivity | When to enable it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Disk Access | Mac searches and file tasks requested in Eney | Broad access to file locations; file contents may become tool results sent for cloud processing when needed | When you want Eney to find, read, or work with files |
| Accessibility | Supported Mac interactions and active-browser-domain context for proactive suggestions | UI-level access; can reveal the domain of the active browser tab to Eney’s suggestion system | Only for features that require interface access or proactive browser context |
| Contacts | Reading contacts for a requested task | Personal address-book data | When a task specifically needs contact information |
| Microphone | Voice input and Meeting Assistant recording | Microphone audio plus meeting-app audio and participant voices | When using voice features or Meeting Assistant; notify participants as required |
| Screen Recording | Eney Wand capture and text recognition | Selected screen region; recognized text or screenshots may be sent for an AI-backed action | When using Wand to act on visible screen content |
Compare permissions on four questions: necessity (which feature needs it), scope (one capability or broad system access), data sensitivity (contacts, recordings, screenshots, email, calendar entries, or files), and reversibility (how easily you can switch it off). Contacts is usually task-specific; Full Disk Access has the widest file scope; Microphone can include other people; and Screen Recording can include anything in the selected region.
How Eney handles permissioned data and actions
Granting a macOS permission does not mean every action happens silently. Eney states that it asks before acting on your behalf. Read-only tools, such as searching your Mac or reading a file, may not ask again after access has been granted. Actions that create, edit, send, or delete generally prompt first, unless you have explicitly allowed those actions for the current chat or globally in Eney’s Settings.
Cloud processing is on by default according to the MacPaw Eney Privacy Notice, updated October 14, 2026 and effective October 15, 2026. Depending on the task, Eney may send your request, conversation context, memories, and tool results—including file contents, email, or calendar data—to an AI provider. The Eney FAQ separately says that conversations, personal details, and Memories remain stored locally on your Mac and are not used to train those models. It also describes requests as being processed by trusted third-party large language models in the cloud, with shared data not linked back to you personally.
These statements describe different parts of the process: local storage and model-training use do not prevent task data from being transmitted to a provider when cloud processing is needed. Treat a permission decision as both a feature choice and a data-flow choice. If a request can be answered without a screenshot, contact lookup, recording, or file search, do not grant that extra capability merely because it is available.
How to revoke Eney’s access
- Open System Settings.
- Choose Privacy & Security.
- Open the category you want to change: Full Disk Access, Accessibility, Contacts, Microphone, or Screen Recording.
- Turn off the switch next to Eney.
- Quit and reopen Eney so the app starts with the new permission state.
Eney’s Privacy Notice says, “You decide what Eney can access and you can change these permissions at any time in Settings.” Revoking a switch prevents future access through that macOS category; it does not erase files, contacts, recordings, screenshots, or messages that you previously created or saved elsewhere. Review any files or recordings you intentionally saved and delete them separately if needed.
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For a temporary restriction, disable only the category tied to the feature. For example, turning off Microphone leaves file search available, while turning off Full Disk Access does not necessarily stop a previously granted Contacts permission. A complete reset requires reviewing each category individually.
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Troubleshoot a permission that is not working
Eney still says it cannot access a resource
- Return to the specific Privacy & Security category rather than changing unrelated permissions. File tasks use Full Disk Access; contacts, microphone, and screen capture each have their own switch.
- Confirm that the switch is enabled for the same Eney installation you are running.
- Check whether macOS is waiting for authentication or a restart of the app.
- Quit Eney completely and reopen it. The handbook recommends restarting the app when it is not responding.
- Check that you are running the current Eney version and install available updates.
- Confirm that the Mac meets the documented Apple silicon and macOS requirements and has an internet connection.
- If the request still fails, test a smaller, less sensitive item—for example, one file or one screen region—to separate a permission problem from an overly broad request.
Wand cannot capture the screen
- Verify Eney is enabled under Screen Recording or Screen & System Audio Recording, depending on your macOS label.
- Start Wand deliberately with its keyboard shortcut, cursor shake, or the + menu; Wand does not run continuously.
- Select a screen region that contains the text or interface you want Eney to recognize.
- Move private windows out of the selection and check the resulting preview before choosing an AI-backed action.
- Restart Eney after changing the switch.
Meeting Assistant recording raises a privacy concern
- Remember that the capture can include meeting-app audio and every participant’s voice.
- Tell participants about the recording and obtain any consent required by applicable local law.
- Check the meeting service’s own recording rules and your employer’s policy.
- Turn off Microphone access when the meeting feature is no longer needed.
File searches work but a requested change does not
Read access and action approval are different. Full Disk Access may allow Eney to locate and read a file, while an edit, send, or delete operation still requires Eney’s confirmation or a setting that allows the action. If the confirmation never appears, restart Eney and check for an update before changing additional permissions. Also verify that the destination app or service is available and that you have its own account or write access.
The permission switch is missing
Launch the feature that needs the permission once, then return to Privacy & Security. macOS commonly lists an app after it has requested a category. If Eney still does not appear, confirm that you installed the Mac version through the supported Setapp distribution, update it, and relaunch it. Do not enable a similarly named application unless it is the Eney copy you intend to use.
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Eney is described as an assistant for both Mac and iPhone, but the documented paths in the handbook and Privacy Notice above are macOS paths. Do not assume that granting Eney access on your Mac grants the same access on your iPhone, or that an iPhone permission will appear in macOS System Settings. Manage each device using that platform’s own permission controls and the prompt shown by its Eney app. A permission change on one device should not be used as evidence that another device has the same setting.
Current privacy-notice date
The MacPaw Eney Privacy Notice used for these permission descriptions is marked updated October 14, 2026, with an effective date of October 15, 2026. Permission labels and feature behavior can change with later app or macOS releases, so recheck Eney’s in-app prompts and current notice after an update.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I give Eney access to my files?
Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access, turn on Eney, authenticate if asked, and reopen the app. This is the broad file-access control Eney documents for Mac searches and file tasks.
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Why can’t Eney see my contacts?
Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Contacts and enable Eney. Contacts is independent of Full Disk Access, Microphone, Screen Recording, and Accessibility, so changing another category will not fix a denied contact request.
How do I let Eney use my microphone?
Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and turn on Eney, then reopen the voice feature. Meeting Assistant can capture your microphone and the meeting app’s sound, including participants’ voices, so notify participants and obtain consent where required.
Why does Eney Wand need Screen Recording?
Wand uses Screen Recording to capture the screen area you select and recognize text. Start it with its shortcut, by shaking the cursor, or from the + menu. It runs when you invoke it, not as a continuous monitor, but a selected region may still contain confidential information.
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Full Disk Access enables the file search and reading capability, but Eney generally asks before creating, editing, sending, or deleting. You can review or deny each proposed action unless you have explicitly allowed that action for the current chat or globally in Settings.
Does turning off a permission delete data Eney already used?
No. Turning off a switch prevents future access through that macOS category. It does not automatically delete files, screenshots, recordings, messages, or other copies you previously saved. Remove those items separately if you want them gone.
Is Eney’s permissioned data sent to the cloud?
Cloud processing is on by default. Depending on the task, Eney may send your request, context, memories, or tool results such as file contents, email, calendar data, recognized text, or screenshots to an AI provider. The FAQ says conversations, personal details, and Memories stay stored locally and are not used to train those models.
What should I do if Eney still cannot use a feature after I enable permission?
Check the exact category, confirm the switch belongs to the Eney installation you opened, quit and reopen Eney, and install available updates. Also verify the documented Apple silicon, macOS 15-or-later, and internet requirements. For Wand, use the correct Screen Recording category label for your macOS release.
Do Mac and iPhone permissions carry over to each other?
No. The documented paths here are for macOS. Review permissions separately on each device using that platform’s controls and the prompt shown by its Eney app.
The Bottom Line
Enable only the Eney permission required for the task: Full Disk Access for file work, Accessibility for supported Mac interactions or browser-context suggestions, Contacts for contact lookups, Microphone for voice and Meeting Assistant, and Screen Recording for Wand. Check what a feature can capture, remember that cloud processing may use the resulting context, and switch access off again in System Settings > Privacy & Security when you are finished.
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