permiso-accessibility-permissions

Permiso — macOS Permission Dialog Helper

Skill by ara.so — Daily 2026 Skills collection.

Permiso provides a polished permission dialog UI for macOS apps that guides users through enabling accessibility and privacy settings — replicating the guided flow seen in OpenAI's Codex Computer Use product.

What It Does

• Presents an animated, guided overlay panel directing users to open System Settings and enable specific permissions (e.g. Accessibility)
• Mirrors the UX pattern from Codex Computer Use: an on-screen assistant that walks users through enabling access
• Handles the common friction point of macOS permission flows with a clear, app-integrated UI

Installation

Swift Package Manager

Add to your Package.swift:

dependencies: [
    .package(url: "https://github.com/zats/permiso", branch: "main")
]

Or in Xcode: File → Add Package Dependencies → enter https://github.com/zats/permiso

Then add Permiso to your target's dependencies:

.target(
    name: "YourApp",
    dependencies: ["Permiso"]
)

Core API

Basic Usage

import Permiso

@MainActor
func showAccessibilityHelper() {
    PermisoAssistant.shared.present(panel: .accessibility)
}

Triggering on App Launch

import SwiftUI
import Permiso

@main
struct MyApp: App {
    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()
                .onAppear {
                    checkAndRequestAccessibility()
                }
        }
    }

    @MainActor
    func checkAndRequestAccessibility() {
        let trusted = AXIsProcessTrusted()
        if !trusted {
            PermisoAssistant.shared.present(panel: .accessibility)
        }
    }
}

AppDelegate Pattern

import AppKit
import Permiso

class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate {
    func applicationDidFinishLaunching(_ notification: Notification) {
        requestAccessibilityIfNeeded()
    }

    @MainActor
    func requestAccessibilityIfNeeded() {
        guard !AXIsProcessTrusted() else { return }
        PermisoAssistant.shared.present(panel: .accessibility)
    }
}

Common Patterns

Check Permission Before Sensitive Actions

import Permiso
import ApplicationServices

@MainActor
func performAccessibilityAction() {
    guard AXIsProcessTrusted() else {
        PermisoAssistant.shared.present(panel: .accessibility)
        return
    }
    // Proceed with accessibility-dependent work
    doAccessibilityWork()
}

Polling for Permission Grant

import Permiso
import ApplicationServices
import Combine

class PermissionMonitor: ObservableObject {
    @Published var isAccessibilityGranted = false
    private var timer: AnyCancellable?

    @MainActor
    func startMonitoring() {
        if AXIsProcessTrusted() {
            isAccessibilityGranted = true
            return
        }

        PermisoAssistant.shared.present(panel: .accessibility)

        timer = Timer.publish(every: 1.0, on: .main, in: .common)
            .autoconnect()
            .sink { [weak self] _ in
                if AXIsProcessTrusted() {
                    self?.isAccessibilityGranted = true
                    self?.timer?.cancel()
                }
            }
    }
}

SwiftUI View Integration

import SwiftUI
import Permiso

struct SettingsView: View {
    @State private var accessibilityGranted = AXIsProcessTrusted()

    var body: some View {
        VStack(spacing: 16) {
            HStack {
                Image(systemName: accessibilityGranted ? "checkmark.circle.fill" : "xmark.circle.fill")
                    .foregroundColor(accessibilityGranted ? .green : .red)
                Text("Accessibility Access")
            }

            if !accessibilityGranted {
                Button("Enable Accessibility Access") {
                    requestAccess()
                }
                .buttonStyle(.borderedProminent)
            }
        }
        .padding()
        .onReceive(Timer.publish(every: 2, on: .main, in: .common).autoconnect()) { _ in
            accessibilityGranted = AXIsProcessTrusted()
        }
    }

    @MainActor
    func requestAccess() {
        PermisoAssistant.shared.present(panel: .accessibility)
    }
}

Requirements

• macOS: The library targets macOS (version as specified by the package; check for macOS 13+ for best compatibility)
• Swift: Swift 5.9+
• Main Actor: PermisoAssistant.shared.present(panel:) must be called from the main thread / @MainActor context

Entitlements / Info.plist

For accessibility usage, ensure your app's Info.plist includes a usage description (though macOS doesn't require this like iOS, it's good practice), and that your app is not sandboxed or has the correct entitlements if it needs to use accessibility APIs:

<!-- In your .entitlements file if needed -->
<key>com.apple.security.temporary-exception.apple-events</key>
<true/>

For apps that actually use accessibility features after permission is granted:

// Request trust prompt (system dialog) alongside Permiso's guided UI
let options = [kAXTrustedCheckOptionPrompt.takeRetainedValue(): true] as CFDictionary
AXIsProcessTrustedWithOptions(options)

Troubleshooting

Panel doesn't appear

• Ensure you're calling from @MainActor / main thread
• Check that your app has a visible window; the panel attaches to the app's UI context

AXIsProcessTrusted() returns false even after granting

• macOS caches trust state; the app may need to be relaunched or the check polled with a timer (see polling pattern above)
• Some sandboxed apps require a full app restart after granting accessibility

Build errors: cannot find 'PermisoAssistant' in scope

• Confirm import Permiso is at the top of the file
• Confirm the package is added to the correct target in Xcode, not just the project

Panel appears but dismisses immediately

• Make sure you're not overriding the window or calling dismiss logic right after present
• Avoid calling present inside a Task { } that gets cancelled immediately

Key Types Reference

Type	Description
PermisoAssistant	Singleton entry point — use .shared
PermisoAssistant.shared.present(panel:)	Shows the guided permission dialog
.accessibility	Panel type for Accessibility settings