Quick Answer
To review the App Privacy Report on a Mac, open Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > App Privacy Report. Select Turn On App Privacy Report if it is not already enabled. After macOS collects activity, return to this screen to see which apps accessed sensitive data—such as your microphone, camera, location, contacts, photos, and files—and which websites an app contacted.
The report only records activity after you enable it. It does not show everything an app has ever done, and an entry does not automatically mean an app acted improperly.
What the App Privacy Report Shows
The App Privacy Report helps you understand how apps use permissions and communicate with websites. It can show:
- When an app accessed your Location Services, contacts, photos, camera, microphone, or other sensitive data
- Which apps accessed sensors such as the camera or microphone
- Domains and websites contacted by apps
- How often an app accessed data or contacted a domain during the reporting period
This is different from the permission controls in System Settings > Privacy & Security. Those controls let you allow or deny access. The App Privacy Report helps you review activity after access has been granted.
The report is most useful when you are investigating unexpected behavior, such as:
- Your Mac’s microphone indicator appearing when you are not using a calling or recording app
- An app accessing your camera unexpectedly
- A website or app contacting unfamiliar domains
- A recently installed app requesting more access than expected
- Battery, network, audio, or camera behavior that seems connected to a particular app
The report does not tell you whether an app’s activity was necessary or malicious. Some apps access data briefly during normal startup, synchronization, notifications, or background tasks.
Turn On App Privacy Report
You must enable the report before macOS can collect information for it.
- Open the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen.
- Select System Settings.
- Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
- Scroll down and click App Privacy Report.
- Click Turn On App Privacy Report.
If the report is already enabled, you will see collected activity instead of the setup option.
Allow Time for Data to Collect
The report will not necessarily contain useful information immediately. Continue using your Mac normally, then return to System Settings > Privacy & Security > App Privacy Report later.
If you are investigating a specific issue, note the approximate time it occurs. For example, if your microphone turns on unexpectedly, open the app you suspect, reproduce the behavior if it is safe to do so, and then review the report.
Do not repeatedly turn the report off and on while testing. Doing so can remove the activity history you were relying on.
Review App Access to Your Data and Sensors
The App Privacy Report groups access by type of data or hardware. The exact categories displayed can vary depending on your Mac and the activity that has occurred.
- Open System Settings.
- Select Privacy & Security.
- Click App Privacy Report.
- Review the section that lists app activity or data access.
- Select a category, app, or entry to see more details when available.
Pay particular attention to Camera and Microphone activity. An entry indicates that an app accessed that resource during the listed period. It does not necessarily mean the app was actively recording or saving audio or video. For example, an app may access a microphone while checking device availability or preparing a call.
If you are specifically checking permissions rather than past activity, open the related settings under Privacy & Security:
- Camera shows which apps can request camera access.
- Microphone shows which apps can request microphone access.
- Location Services shows which apps can use location information.
- Files and Folders, Photos, Contacts, and other categories show additional permissions.
For a separate overview of current camera and microphone permissions, see How to Check Which Apps Can Access Your Camera and Microphone on a Mac.
Review the Websites Apps Contacted
The App Privacy Report can also list domains contacted by apps. A domain is the main web address used by a website or online service, such as a company’s update server, analytics service, or content-delivery network.
To review this information:
- Open Apple menu > System Settings.
- Click Privacy & Security.
- Select App Privacy Report.
- Scroll to the section showing network or website activity.
- Review the domains and the apps associated with them.
- Select an entry for additional timing or activity details, if available.
A familiar app may contact several domains for normal reasons, including:
- Signing in or checking account status
- Downloading updates
- Loading images, video, or documents
- Delivering notifications
- Measuring performance or diagnosing errors
- Displaying advertisements or embedded web content
An unfamiliar domain is not automatically dangerous. Many services use separate domains for login systems, cloud storage, analytics, or security checks. However, repeated connections from an app you do not recognize deserve closer attention.
Do not block a domain solely because its name looks unfamiliar. Blocking network access can prevent an app from signing in, updating, syncing, or displaying content.
How to Interpret an Unexpected Camera or Microphone Entry
Camera and microphone entries deserve attention because they involve sensitive hardware, but you should investigate them in context.
Check the time
Compare the report’s timestamp with what you were doing. An entry may match:
- A video call
- A voice recording
- A browser tab using an online meeting service
- Dictation or voice control
- A media-editing app
- A virtual machine or remote-access tool
- An app opening or waking in the background
Check the app’s purpose
Ask whether the app normally needs audio or video access. A video-conferencing app requesting the camera and microphone is expected. A simple utility with no apparent audio or video feature may warrant more investigation.
Check current permission
- Open System Settings.
- Select Privacy & Security.
- Click Camera or Microphone.
- Review the apps listed.
- Turn off access for an app that should not use the resource.
Turning off a permission changes the app’s behavior and may stop calls, recording, dictation, or other features. Close or save your work first if the app may be interrupted.
If your concern is a failed microphone or camera rather than unexpected access, use the appropriate troubleshooting guide: How to Fix the Microphone Not Working on a Mac or How to Fix the Camera Not Working on a Mac.
What to Do When an App Looks Suspicious
If the report shows activity you cannot explain, work through the following checks before deleting anything.
1. Confirm the app’s identity
Some app names are abbreviated, and helper processes may appear separately from the main app. Look in the Applications folder and check whether the app is one you installed or recognize.
Also consider whether the activity came from a browser, an extension, a menu-bar utility, a backup tool, or a security app.
2. Review its permissions
Open System Settings > Privacy & Security and inspect the app’s access. Disable permissions that are unnecessary. macOS may ask you to confirm the change.
Removing permission may affect unsaved work or interrupt an active call, recording, or synchronization task. Save your work before making changes.
3. Update the app
An outdated app can behave unexpectedly or use services that have changed. Update it through the method provided by its developer, the App Store, or the app’s built-in update feature.
Only install updates from a source you trust.
4. Quit the app
If the app is currently running, save your work and choose App Name > Quit App Name from the menu bar. If it will not close normally, you can use Option-Command-Escape to open Force Quit Applications.
Force quitting can discard unsaved changes. Use it only when normal quitting does not work.
5. Remove the app if necessary
If you do not recognize the app and cannot verify its source, consider uninstalling it. Quit the app first, then move it to the Trash using Finder or follow the developer’s uninstall instructions.
Deleting an app may not remove all related files, login items, browser extensions, or background components. It can also remove locally stored app data. Check for an export or backup option before deleting an app you might need.
Troubleshooting the App Privacy Report
The App Privacy Report option is missing
Make sure you are using System Settings, not an older settings interface, and open Privacy & Security. Scroll through the page carefully; the report appears lower in the settings list.
If it still does not appear, your Mac, user account, or managed-device configuration may not provide the feature. A work or school administrator may also restrict privacy settings.
The report is empty
An empty report usually means the feature was recently enabled or there has been little relevant activity. Use the Mac normally and check again later.
The report is not a live activity monitor. It may not display an event instantly, and it will not show activity from before the feature was enabled.
The report does not show an app you expected
The report is not a complete list of every app installed on your Mac. An app may not appear if it has not accessed a tracked resource or contacted a domain during the available reporting period.
Some activity may also be associated with a helper process, system component, browser, or service rather than the app window you recognize.
The entries are difficult to understand
Start with the timestamp, app name, and resource involved. Then compare those details with your normal activity. Search the app’s official support documentation if a domain or helper process is unfamiliar.
Avoid treating a single unexplained entry as proof of a security problem. Look for repeated behavior, unnecessary permissions, or activity that continues after the app has been quit.
The report contains too much information
Focus on the category related to your concern. If you are investigating an unexpected microphone activation, begin with Microphone, then check the app’s permission under Privacy & Security > Microphone. There is no need to analyze every domain in the report.
Turn Off or Reset the App Privacy Report
You can stop collecting new activity from the App Privacy Report settings.
- Open System Settings.
- Select Privacy & Security.
- Click App Privacy Report.
- Turn off the report or use the available reset or clearing control.
Read the confirmation carefully before accepting it. Turning off or clearing the report can remove the history you were using for an investigation. If you may need the information later, take notes or capture the relevant details first.
Turning off the report does not automatically revoke an app’s camera, microphone, location, or other permissions. To change those permissions, open the corresponding category in Privacy & Security.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the App Privacy Report show live activity?
No. It records activity for later review rather than functioning as a live monitor. There may be a delay before new events appear.
Does an entry mean an app is spying on me?
No. An entry only shows that an app accessed a tracked resource or contacted a domain. Many legitimate apps do this during normal operation. Investigate the app’s purpose, timing, permissions, and repeated behavior together.
Can I use the report to block an app?
The report itself is primarily for review. To restrict access, open the relevant permission category in System Settings > Privacy & Security and turn off the app’s access. This may disable features or interrupt an active task.
Does turning off the report revoke permissions?
No. Turning off the report stops or limits report collection; it does not change the permissions already granted to apps. Review Privacy & Security separately if you want to revoke access.
How long should I leave the report enabled?
Leave it enabled long enough to capture the behavior you want to investigate. If you are checking occasional microphone or camera access, use the Mac normally and review the report after the issue occurs.
Final Thoughts
The App Privacy Report gives you a useful record of how apps access sensitive Mac resources and communicate with websites. Enable it before investigating, allow time for activity to collect, and interpret entries alongside timestamps, app purpose, and current permissions. If an app’s behavior remains unexplained, restrict unnecessary access, update or remove the app carefully, and preserve any information you may need before clearing the report.