Access Journal
See which of your Mac apps you can trust — and what they can access.
What it does
Access Journal is a read-only security auditor for macOS. It checks the code signature of every installed app and flags software from developers macOS can't identify. Grant Full Disk Access and it also shows which apps hold the most powerful system permissions — Accessibility, Screen Recording, Input Monitoring, Full Disk Access, and more.
Read-only On your Mac No network No accounts
What each version can see
Mac App Store version — a focused security monitor. It checks every installed app's code signature, and (with Full Disk Access) shows the system-level, high-risk permissions: Accessibility, Screen Recording, Input Monitoring, Full Disk Access, Developer Tools, and App Management — plus change tracking and your private notes. Apple's App Store sandbox prevents it from reading per-app permission records.
Full version (this page) — everything above, plus every per-app permission: Camera, Microphone, Contacts, Calendars, Photos, Automation, Location, and Notifications, and an Extensions list.
Both are free, read-only, and never send anything off your Mac. Want the complete picture? Download the full version above.
Installing
- Open the downloaded
Access-Journal.dmgand drag Access Journal onto the Applications shortcut. - First launch: double-click Access Journal. macOS blocks it with a “cannot verify” message — click Done. Then open System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security, scroll to the Security section, and click Open Anyway next to Access Journal. This step appears because the app is distributed directly rather than through the App Store.
- To read macOS permission records, grant Full Disk Access: System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security ▸ Full Disk Access, enable Access Journal, then quit and reopen it.
Privacy Policy
Access Journal does not collect, store, transmit, or share any personal data.
- The app runs entirely on your Mac and makes no network connections.
- What it shows you — installed apps, their code signatures, and (if you grant Full Disk Access) which apps hold system permissions — is read from your Mac and displayed only on your Mac.
- Any notes you write stay in the app's local storage on your device.
- There are no servers, no analytics, and no tracking. We receive nothing.
The app is read-only and never changes a system setting — it sends you to System Settings to make changes yourself.
Support
Questions, bugs, or feedback? Email hruif@hotmail.com and we'll get back to you.
In your email, please include your macOS version and a short description of what you were doing — it helps us help you faster.