Mac Privacy TCC Database Locked Error — What It Means & How to Fix It

Fix macOS Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC) database errors preventing apps from receiving permissions for camera, microphone, and screen recording. This guide covers everything you need to know about this topic, including common causes, step-by-step solutions, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Here are the key things to understand: The TCC database stores all privacy permissions granted to apps on macOS (camera, mic, files, screen recording). When the TCC database becomes corrupted or locked, apps cannot request or receive new permissions. Symptoms include permission dialogs not appearing, apps showing as allowed but not functioning, or System Settings crashing. The database files are in ~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.TCC/ and /Library/Application Support/com.apple.TCC/. Understanding these fundamentals will help you diagnose and resolve this issue more effectively.

The most common reasons this occurs include: TCC database file is corrupted due to unexpected shutdown or disk error. SIP (System Integrity Protection) preventing TCC modifications by management tools. Multiple MDM or management profiles conflicting on TCC policy. macOS upgrade did not properly migrate the TCC database to the new format. Identifying the root cause is the first step toward finding the right solution.

To resolve this, follow these recommended steps: Reset user TCC database: tccutil reset All (this revokes all app permissions — you must re-grant them). For specific app issues: tccutil reset Camera com.example.app or tccutil reset Microphone com.example.app. If the database is locked, boot into Safe Mode (hold Shift at startup) and try the tccutil commands. As a last resort, boot into Recovery Mode and delete ~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db. If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider consulting additional resources or a qualified professional.

This article is part of our Mac Error Codes collection on Error Codes Wiki. We provide comprehensive, up-to-date information to help you find solutions quickly.