macOS permissions (TCC)

macOS permission grants are fragile. TCC associates a permission grant with the app's code signature, bundle identifier, and on-disk path. If any of those change, macOS treats the app as new and may drop or hide prompts.

Requirements for stable permissions

• Same path: run the app from a fixed location (for Clawdbot, dist/Clawdbot.app).
• Same bundle identifier: changing the bundle ID creates a new permission identity.
• Signed app: unsigned or ad-hoc signed builds do not persist permissions.
• Consistent signature: use a real Apple Development or Developer ID certificate so the signature stays stable across rebuilds.

Ad-hoc signatures generate a new identity every build. macOS will forget previous grants, and prompts can disappear entirely until the stale entries are cleared.

Recovery checklist when prompts disappear

1. Quit the app.
2. Remove the app entry in System Settings -> Privacy & Security.
3. Relaunch the app from the same path and re-grant permissions.
4. If the prompt still does not appear, reset TCC entries with tccutil and try again.
5. Some permissions only reappear after a full macOS restart.

Example resets (replace bundle ID as needed):

sudo tccutil reset Accessibility com.openclaw.mac
sudo tccutil reset ScreenCapture com.openclaw.mac
sudo tccutil reset AppleEvents

If you are testing permissions, always sign with a real certificate. Ad-hoc builds are only acceptable for quick local runs where permissions do not matter.