Documentation

macOS permissions

Cinder asks for three focused macOS permissions. Only system audio is required to start a useful call; microphone and speech recognition improve what Cinder can capture and transcribe.

Before you begin

Cinder requires macOS 14.2 or later on an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or newer). Sign in, then complete the permission step during onboarding. macOS presents its own permission dialogs one at a time.

What each permission does

System audio recording

Required

Captures the audio playing through your Mac so Cinder can hear the other side of the call.

System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording

Microphone

Optional for call start

Captures your voice. Without it, the call can still start, but your side of the transcript will be incomplete.

System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone

Speech Recognition

Optional

Powers Apple Speech for Free on-device transcription and the local fallback used by paid plans.

System Settings → Privacy & Security → Speech Recognition

Allow access during setup

  1. In Cinder, choose Allow access.
  2. Choose Allow on each macOS prompt.
  3. Return to Cinder. The permission rows update when macOS reports the new status.

If you chose Don't Allow

macOS usually will not show the same prompt again. Open System Settings, choose Privacy & Security, open the matching permission category above, and enable Cinder. Return to the app afterward. If the status does not refresh, quit and reopen Cinder.

Screen sharing and the floating overlay

Cinder marks its floating overlay as protected content on macOS. Screen-sharing behavior can vary by app, operating-system version, and whether you share a display, window, or browser tab. Confirm your setup before a live call.

Run a short test call using the same calling app and sharing mode you plan to use. The person using Cinder remains responsible for any notice and consent required for transcription or monitoring.