This tutorial helps you keep your privacy and see apps with microphone access on Mac computers. Apps that can access your microphone after you've previously given them access to this component can compromise privacy by spying on your environment.
Gone are the days when a "flashlight" application for Android required access to the contacts in the address book. However, there are still many applications that, if we are not careful, we can give them access to the web camera / photo or microphone. Including Mac, iPhone, or iPad apps that are theoretically privacy-safe.
Some applications require access to the microphone Mac as soon as they are first launched after installation, while other applications request access when voice dictation or voice dialing functions are used.
You don't have to obsess about being spied on through the microphone, but it's good to be cautious and only give access to the microphone to apps that absolutely need it.
For example, I don't understand why immediately after installation, the Opera application asks for access to the microphone. I don't plan to use voice dictation or any voice dialing web app.
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How do you view the applications with microphone access on Mac computers?
If you are curious to see the applications with access to the microphone on computers Mac, follow the steps below (the tutorial is done on the system macOS Sonoma):
1. Open "System Settings” then go to the sidebar settings for “Privacy & Security", then to the component "Microphone".
2. At the option "Microphone” find the applications that have access to the computer's microphone Mac or MacBook.
From here you can disable an application's access to the microphone. In my case only the application has access "Parallels Desktop". On the app "WhatsApp" for Mac do not allow video or audio calls.
In this section you will not find the applications or services Apple. Telephone, FaceTime or Siri.
All from "Privacy & Security" you can see the applications that have access to photo / video capture with the help of "Camera” or to other components such as: Bluetooth, HomeKit, Input Monitoring, App Management.
How do you see when an application is using the microphone or webcam?
Both for iPhone and for Mac / MacBook, Apple added a feature to visually notify users with a specific icon when the microphone or webcam is in use.
The icon is present in the menu bar (Menu Bar) both at the icon Control Center as well as separately.
The user can see with a simple click the application that is using the microphone (or webcam) at that moment and the specific settings.
