---
title: "Give Recordstead permission to record"
description: "Grant the two macOS permissions Recordstead asks for, check them afterwards, and see which permissions it never requests. Recovering from a refusal has its own page."
updated: "2026-10-09"
canonical: https://docs.recordstead.app/getting-started/permissions
---

# Give Recordstead permission to record

Recordstead needs two permissions from macOS, and it asks for each one at the
moment it first needs it rather than all at once on first launch.

## The microphone

macOS asks the first time Recordstead wants your voice.

If you are going through the setup window, the step that says **macOS asks for
the microphone next.** is where it happens: pressing **Continue** on that step
is what brings up the system prompt. If you skipped the setup window, the prompt
arrives instead at your first recording or Live Transcript Only session.

You can say no. Recordstead keeps working, and your meetings will contain
everyone's words except yours.

## System Audio Recording

This is the permission that captures what the other people say, and macOS never
asks for it in advance. It asks the first time Recordstead actually taps an
app's audio, which means during your first real recording or Live Transcript
Only session.

There is nothing to do beforehand, and nothing you can grant early.

## Check both

1. Open **Settings** (⌘,).
2. Select **Advanced**.
3. Read the **Permissions** section. There is one row for **Microphone** and one
   for **System Audio Recording**.

Each row says where it stands:

| The row says | What it means |
|---|---|
| **Granted** | Nothing to do. |
| **Will prompt on first recording** | The microphone has not been asked for yet. |
| **Required. macOS asks the first time you record a call.** | System Audio Recording has not been asked for yet. |
| **Denied. Click to open System Settings.** | You said no. Clicking the row opens the right pane in System Settings. |
| **Not working. Toggle it off and on in System Settings.** | macOS reports the permission as granted, but it is not working. |

After changing anything in System Settings, switch back to Recordstead: the
pane re-reads the state whenever the app regains focus.


## What Recordstead never asks for

Accessibility and Screen Recording are not requested and not used. Noticing that
a call has started needs no permission at all: Recordstead watches which
processes are using audio, not your screen and not other apps' windows.

## Result

Both rows in Settings → Advanced → Permissions read **Granted**.

## Related

- [You said no to a permission and need to undo it](https://docs.recordstead.app/troubleshooting/permissions-were-refused)
- [Record your first meeting](https://docs.recordstead.app/getting-started/first-recording)
- [The recording is silent, or only one side is there](https://docs.recordstead.app/troubleshooting/no-audio-was-captured)