Apple published a post on its Developer News site on October 2, 2026, titled "Updates to Full Disk Access in macOS." In it, Apple said Full Disk Access largely sidesteps the controls that normally protect users' private data, and that it exists so backup apps can work properly on the Mac.
Apple said some developers are using Full Disk Access in ways that could put users at risk, exposing everything on their systems, including files, mail, messages and even browsing history, without users' full knowledge and understanding. For communication apps, Apple said, this can also compromise the privacy of the people users are communicating with.
Apple said that going forward it will introduce additional controls so that users who genuinely want to grant an app this level of access can only do so with very explicit user action. It called addressing this critical and said that as AI agents become more capable and autonomous, the risks of this level of access will grow substantially. Apple said it is committed to making sure users clearly understand those risks before granting access.
Apple's post does not say when the new controls will arrive or what form they will take. For now, Full Disk Access works as before. Mac users can review which apps have it in System Settings under Privacy & Security.