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Mac Full Disk Access Errors — Permission Denied for Apps and Terminal

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Overview

Fix macOS Full Disk Access permission errors preventing apps and Terminal from accessing protected folders like Desktop, Documents, and system files.

Key Details

  • macOS requires explicit Full Disk Access permission for apps to read protected user folders
  • Protected locations include: Desktop, Documents, Downloads, iCloud Drive, Time Machine backups, and mail
  • Terminal and command-line tools need Full Disk Access to operate on protected directories
  • Apps without Full Disk Access receive 'Operation not permitted' errors even when running as root
  • This is part of Apple's Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC) framework

Common Causes

  • App not granted Full Disk Access in System Settings > Privacy & Security
  • Terminal.app or iTerm2 not added to Full Disk Access list
  • macOS upgrade resetting previously granted permissions
  • Automation tools (cron, launchd) running without inherited disk access
  • Backup software unable to read all files without Full Disk Access

Steps

  1. 1Grant Full Disk Access: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access > toggle on for the app
  2. 2For Terminal: add Terminal.app (or iTerm) to the Full Disk Access list and restart Terminal
  3. 3For CLI tools: the parent Terminal app must have Full Disk Access, not each individual command
  4. 4Reset TCC database if corrupted: tccutil reset All (caution: resets all privacy permissions)
  5. 5For automation: add the scheduling app (cron/launchd/Automator) to Full Disk Access
  6. 6Quit and reopen the app after granting access — permission changes require app restart

Tags

full-disk-accesspermissionstccprivacyoperation-not-permitted

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Frequently Asked Questions

Full Disk Access is enforced by the TCC framework at the app level, not the user level. Even root cannot bypass it. The app itself must be granted access in System Settings.