AquaAppearanceHelper is recording the screen?

Why Apple doesn't respond directly?

Hello AymaneH,

AquaAppearanceHelper is a macOS process used to manage the appearance of the user interface, so you have nothing to worry about. The reason why AquaAppearanceHelper is appearing is probably because of a bug macOS Sequoia. If you are still unsure, you can run a malware check on your make using trusted anti-virus software, such as Norton or McAfee.

Cheers,

Jonasilver137

I encountered the same problem as you, also on macOS 15.1 (24B83)

I've reported the same issue to Apple last night. They did some trouble shooting, reboot in safe mode, ran a disk utility, and came up with the same results. I started getting this message after logging off of the second account on this iMac. Along with the AquaApperanceHelper message, I also noticed that before I actually logged into my account there was a brief small blue/violet indicator dot (the same one that appears next to the control panel) in the right top corner next to clock icon. This disappears one you're logged it, but you still get the AquaApperanceHelper indicator light next to the control panel sliders along with the message. Eventually I was told by a senior support specialist that the AquaApperanceHelper message is a know issue with the latest update and they are working on it. I was also told that screen is not being recorded and there was nothing to worry about. I will update this ticket if and when I hear back from Apple or there is a new update that resolves it. They didn't address the issue with the blue/violet indicator dot the appears (not seen in this screen shot) in the position by the clock. I will report that if it continues to briefly appear.

Mgxy1 wrote:

Why Apple doesn't respond directly?

You're not communicating with Apple when you post in the Community. Apple does not participate in these forums. We're all just fellow users, helping out as we have time and knowledge to share. If you want a reply from Apple Support, you need to call them.

Regards.

I had the same problem. 2 days ago I updated to 15.1.1 and now control center started screen recording.

the same thing happens every day with my mac also

Yeah I keep getting this problem as well. It only seems to occur when watching a video fullscreen in Chrome for me.

I just encountered this right now... I thought I've been bugged

Even after rolling out an update for sequoia, apple is unable to fix this bug, looks like they themselves don't have any clue

Same issue here. No DisplayLink involved.

this happened to me too while watching apple tv on my mac and yesterday i updated to macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 so its probably bc of that

I can help clarify what the Aqua Appearance Helper is in macOS.

Aqua Appearance Helper is a background process related to the graphical user interface (GUI) in macOS. Specifically:

1. It's associated with Apple's Aqua interface design, which is the visual style of macOS (and was originally introduced with Mac OS X).

2. Its primary function is to manage and coordinate visual appearance settings across the macOS interface, such as:

- Handling UI element color schemes

- Managing system-wide appearance transitions

- Coordinating visual effects and UI responsiveness

- Supporting features like Dark Mode and Light Mode switches

3. You might see this process running in Activity Monitor under the "Processes" or "Background Processes" section.

4. It's a standard macOS system process, so it's normal and safe to have it running. You should not disable or interfere with this process.

5. The process is part of macOS's core graphical interface management system and helps ensure a consistent and smooth visual experience across different applications and system interfaces.

The answer of Claude AI

Just happened to me too while been watching a video

I am also facing the same issue that AquaAppearanceHelper and one app called Tayasui Sketches are recording screen.

I have noticed that AquaAppearanceHelper is recording screen when I open the system and same issue when I use Tayasui Sketches app.

All this things happening after updating to the Sequoia OS 15.1.1