macOS troubleshooting
Fix: Discord doesn't have permission to capture your screen on Mac
Updated 2026-07-23
This error means macOS hasn't granted Discord the Screen Recording permission - or Discord hasn't been restarted since you granted it. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording, enable Discord, then quit Discord completely (Cmd+Q, not just the window) and reopen it. Nine times out of ten that's the whole fix.
The standard fix
- 1
Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording (on older macOS: Screen Recording).
- 2
Toggle Discord ON. If it's already on, toggle it OFF and ON again.
- 3
Quit Discord fully: Cmd+Q, or right-click the dock icon > Quit. Screen-share permission is only read at launch.
- 4
Reopen Discord and start the screen share again.
If Discord isn't in the list
- 1
Click the + button under the app list.
- 2
Select Discord from /Applications.
- 3
If the + is greyed out, click the padlock / authenticate with Touch ID first.
If the toggle won't stick (stale permission entry)
After Discord updates itself, macOS occasionally keeps a permission entry pointing at the old version. Reset Discord's screen-capture permission from Terminal, then grant it fresh:
tccutil reset ScreenCapture com.hnc.Discord
Relaunch Discord - macOS will show the permission prompt again as if it were a fresh install. Grant it, restart Discord once more.
Still failing: check for the beta/PTB double-install
Discord, Discord PTB and Discord Canary are separate apps with separate permissions. If you granted 'Discord' but run 'Discord PTB', the error persists. Grant the one you actually launch - check the app name in the menu bar while Discord is frontmost.
Frequently asked
Why does Discord keep asking for screen permission after every update?
macOS ties the permission to the app's code signature. Some update paths change it enough that macOS treats Discord as a new app. Granting again (or a tccutil reset + fresh grant) fixes it.
Can I share audio with my screen on Mac Discord?
Discord on macOS can capture system audio during screen share on recent versions using the same Screen & System Audio Recording permission. If the toggle exists but audio is silent, restart Discord after granting - the audio engine also only initializes permissions at launch.
Does this affect voice chat too?
No - voice chat needs only the Microphone permission. Screen Recording governs sharing your display and system audio.