Unable to grant Apps permission to use microphone

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Unable to grant Apps permission to use microphone

I have a Macbook Pro 2015 running Monterey. My Mac has an issue with the microphone. It cannot connect new apps to use the microphone.

I tried the typical things, shut down, turn, all that stuff.

I go to Apple symbol.

Then to Preferences.

Then to Security and Privacy.

Then to Microphone.

Then I see a list of apps, but the (+) and (-) symbols are missing. I cannot find any way to add an app to the list.

I tried unlocking, and still the (+) and (-) symbols are missing.

I tried reseting NVRAM, and that did nothing.

The microphone does work on Siri and two apps. but I cannot add more apps.

Any ideas on how to fix this?

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 11.6

Posted on Sep 15, 2023 3:23 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,006 points

Sep 17, 2023 5:09 AM in response to Frustrated_Macbook_user

Frustrated_Macbook_user wrote:

I can start the apps, but that permission screen DOES NOT pop up. That is why I was trying to go through the steps outlined in the opening post. Thank you, anyway.

But that’s not the way it works. You don’t add apps. The apps request access and you grant access.

An app must be coded to ask for access. If the app wasn’t designed to do that, it cannot access the microphone.

The only thing I can think might fix the problem would be to reset TCC for the microphone so that all apps have to ask again. However, if something is blocking that, you would lose access to the two apps that work.

In Terminal:

tccutil reset Microphone

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

215,172 points

Sep 16, 2023 3:46 PM in response to Frustrated_Macbook_user

You don't give permission before hand but start the app's recording and you'll get this popup window:

Click OK and you're good to go.

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,006 points

Sep 17, 2023 9:38 AM in response to Frustrated_Macbook_user

I can’t speak for Apple support or whoever you talked to, but you have never been able to manually add apps to microphone, camera, and a few other things. The software must be designed to enable those entitlements, and they must have code in them to ask the user’s permission. There is no other way to do it, natively.

Search the internet for how to modify the TCC database. There may be a way to do that.

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Answer 4

karina184

Community Specialist

Sep 16, 2023 1:39 PM in response to Frustrated_Macbook_user

Hi there,

We'll be happy to help. Have you tried performing those actions to see if you have the same response in safe mode? After testing, go ahead and restart normally and test again because sometimes just starting in this mode and then restarting normally can resolve issues: How to use safe mode on your Mac.

Keep us updated.

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Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

215,172 points

Sep 17, 2023 10:19 AM in response to Frustrated_Macbook_user

Open Audacity and click on the red record button:

Then you should get the window I posted.

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Answer 6

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,006 points

Sep 17, 2023 8:13 AM in response to Frustrated_Macbook_user

Photo booth uses the microphone to make videos. Originally audacity did ask, but none of the other apps will ask now.

Then as I warned, you have something interfering with that system such that you are not getting asked.

Photo Booth does not need to ask for either the Camera or the Microphone. I imagine since it is built into the OS.

I reset the Camera and Microphone then Opened both Photo Booth and Audacity. Photo Booth did not ask for Camera or Microphone. Audacity asked to use the Microphone.

Which apps are you using that don't ask? Have you checked with the developer?

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Answer 7

Sep 17, 2023 11:52 AM in response to Old Toad

Originally, year ago, that worked. So I uninstalled Audicity and tried that again. Was a real problem. Had to uninstall Audicity then re-install it. It took three tries until it did finally ask for permission. None of the other apps even ask for permission, and I do not want to lose Zoom, so have not unintalled it.

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Answer 8

Sep 17, 2023 9:07 AM in response to Barney-15E

I do not want to lose Zoom and Audicity. NONE of the other apps ask for permission and NONE of the other apps work. As I said, I followed Apple's support by the steps outlined in the opening post and thatw as Apple's suggestion on how to connect apps to the microphone, but it does not work. Thus I posted here. Do you have an actual answer?

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Answer 9

Sep 16, 2023 3:05 PM in response to karina184

I tried safe mode. Nothing changed.

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Answer 10

Sep 16, 2023 4:20 PM in response to Old Toad

I can start the apps, but that permission screen DOES NOT pop up. That is why I was trying to go through the steps outlined in the opening post. Thank you, anyway.

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Answer 11

Sep 16, 2023 4:23 PM in response to Frustrated_Macbook_user

I have also checked the Apple- System Preferences- sound- and made sure it is set for internal microphone and NOT muted.

Still nothing has fixed this.

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Answer 12

Sep 17, 2023 5:50 AM in response to Barney-15E

I tried that tccutil reset and it did not help. The popup does NOT appear, even on the preinstalled apps like Photo Booth.

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Answer 13

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,006 points

Sep 17, 2023 7:43 AM in response to Frustrated_Macbook_user

Photo Booth doesn’t use the microphone, only the camera. I don’t think it must ask otherwise.

Did Audacity ask?

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Answer 14

Sep 17, 2023 8:05 AM in response to Barney-15E

Photo booth uses the microphone to make videos. Originally audacity did ask, but none of the other apps will ask now.

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Answer 15

Sep 17, 2023 8:57 AM in response to Barney-15E

And that problem is what I am asking about. Apple told me to add the apps to the microphone as I explained. It does not work for any apps. I keep explaining this. Do you have an answer?

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Unable to grant Apps permission to use microphone

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