macOS 27.3 starts implementing changes to Full Disk Access (FDA). Here’s what ‘very explicit user action’ may mean.
When an app tries to read a protected file without FDA, macOS doesn’t prompt the user to grant permission. Instead, it automatically denies access and records that denial in the TCC database.
Once in the db, apps show up under Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access with their toggle off. Apps will often add themselves to the list, then instruct the user to open Settings and flip the toggle.
Not anymore: starting with macOS 27.3 and feature flag TCC/FDA_WARNING, automatic denials are no longer saved. Users will have to explicitly add an app to the list with the + button or by dragging it in from Applications.
So far, the flag doesn’t add any additional warnings or dialogs, but its name suggests these may arrive in future betas. The flag is disabled in 27.3 beta 1.
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Relatedly, macOS 27.3 introduces “Private Folders,” a new folder-by-folder permission configured like Full Disk Access. Not fully wired up yet, but it could offer a narrower alternative to Full Disk Access.
It’s also impacted by TCC/FDA_WARNING: when the flag is on, automatic Private Folders denials aren’t saved either.