1. [Clacky](https://clacky.app/) 2. › 3. [A–Z](https://clacky.app/features/#a-z) 4. › 5. [Answers](https://clacky.app/answers/) 6. › 7. Why does Clacky ask for Screen Recording? Answer # Why does Clacky ask for Screen Recording permission? Clacky asks for Screen Recording because its screen recorder and its screenshots need to see your screen to capture it, and it asks only the first time you use one of them. Click and keyboard sounds and the click ripple don’t need it. Recordings are saved in Movies › Clacky and screenshots in Pictures › Clacky Screenshots, on your Mac, and are never uploaded. [Try free for 3 days](https://clacky.app/try/)[Pricing](https://clacky.app/#pricing) ![Clacky’s recorder bar with Full Screen, Window and Area, No Mic, No Camera, Mac Audio, Spotlight and a red Record button.](https://clacky.app/features27/recorder-bar-light.webp) ## What needs it and what doesn’t Only the two tools that capture your screen use this permission. Feature Needs Screen Recording? Needs macOS Click, keyboard and scroll sounds No (Input Monitoring) 13 Ventura or later Click ripple No 13 Ventura or later Screenshots, Grab Text, Scrolling Capture Yes 14 Sonoma or later Screen recorder Yes, plus the microphone only if you pick one 15 Sequoia or later Clackyland No 13 Ventura or later ## How to allow it You can say yes the first time you record or take a screenshot. It takes a few seconds. 1. Choose **Record Screen…** in Clacky’s menu-bar menu, or take a screenshot with Clacky. 2. macOS shows its own prompt. Choose **Open System Settings**. 3. Switch Clacky on in System Settings → Privacy & Security → **Screen & System Audio Recording** (called **Screen Recording** on macOS 14 and earlier). 4. macOS quits and reopens Clacky to apply it. That’s normal, and the recorder or Screenshots comes back by itself. ## When Clacky looks at your screen Clacky looks at your screen while you record or take a screenshot. While it records, its menu-bar icon turns into a red dot with the time, and a small pill shows the time with Stop. Its own bar, countdown and pill are left out of the video. Everything it captures is saved as a file in your folders. Nothing is uploaded, and sharing is always your move: Share… opens the macOS share sheet and the app you pick takes it from there. The [privacy page](https://clacky.app/privacy/) lists every case. ## If you said no, or it stopped working After the first ask, Clacky doesn’t pester macOS again. It shows a short note that points to the right place in System Settings instead. If a recording shows only your wallpaper and no windows, the permission has gone stale, which can happen after an update. In System Settings, switch Clacky off and on again, or remove it with the minus button and allow it again. More in [why can’t my Mac record the screen?](https://clacky.app/answers/screen-recording-permission-mac/) ## Questions ### Does Clacky upload my recordings or screenshots? No. They are saved on your Mac and stay there unless you share them yourself. ### Can I use Clacky without Screen Recording? Yes. Sounds, the ripple and Clackyland work without it. Only the recorder and screenshots need it. ### Why does the macOS setting say System Audio? On macOS 15 and later, the same switch covers your Mac’s sound. Clacky’s recorder uses it for Mac Audio, which puts your click sounds into the video. ### Does the click ripple show up in other recorders? Yes. The ripple is drawn on your real screen, so any recorder or screen share shows it, without giving Clacky Screen Recording. Facts checked on 5 November 2026. ## Related - [Why does Clacky need Input Monitoring?Clacky needs Input Monitoring to notice clicks, scrolls and key presses in other apps and play a sound for each. It never records which keys you type.](https://clacky.app/answers/why-input-monitoring/) - [Mac can’t record the screenThe app needs Screen Recording access in System Settings → Privacy & Security. Turn it on, quit and reopen the app. If you only see wallpaper, that’s why.](https://clacky.app/answers/screen-recording-permission-mac/) - [Where does Clacky save my screen recordings and screenshots?Recordings go to Movies › Clacky (~/Movies/Clacky) and screenshots to Pictures › Clacky Screenshots. You can change both folders. Nothing is uploaded.](https://clacky.app/answers/where-clacky-saves-files/) - [Does Clacky listen to my microphone?No. Clacky opens the microphone only when you pick one for a screen recording. Quiet during calls only checks whether another app is using the mic.](https://clacky.app/answers/does-clacky-listen-to-microphone/) - [Screen RecorderRecord the full screen, one window or an area, with your clicks heard and their ripples seen. Saved to Movies › Clacky.](https://clacky.app/features/screen-recorder/) - [How to record your Mac screen with internal audioWhy Mac screen recordings come out silent, and four ways to record the Mac’s own sound with the picture: the Screenshot toolbar, OBS, BlackHole and Clacky.](https://clacky.app/blog/record-mac-screen-with-internal-audio/) [A–Z](https://clacky.app/features/#a-z)[Pricing](https://clacky.app/#pricing)[Every feature](https://clacky.app/features/) ## Make something on your Mac today. 3 days free, every feature. Then $4.99 once. [Try free for 3 days](https://clacky.app/try/)