Limelight
What is Accessibility Permissions (macOS)?
Accessibility permission on macOS lets an app observe or control user input, such as keystrokes and mouse events, and is granted in System Settings.
Accessibility permission is a macOS privacy control that lets an approved app observe or control input across the system, including global keyboard and mouse events. Originally built so assistive technologies could operate the computer on a user's behalf, it is now also used by automation tools, window managers, and utilities that need to watch input outside their own window. You grant it in System Settings under Privacy & Security, Accessibility.
macOS gates this permission because watching global input is sensitive. An app cannot enable it silently; the user must toggle it on explicitly, and it can be revoked at any time in the same settings panel. The permission allows monitoring of system-wide events, which is exactly what tools that respond to global shortcuts or pointer movement require to function.
Limelight requests Accessibility permission so it can watch global mouse and keyboard events to drive its overlay: tracking the cursor for the spotlight and detecting the keyboard shortcuts shown in its on-screen keystroke display. The permission is used only to render the overlay locally. Limelight records nothing, logs no keystrokes, and uploads nothing; you can revoke the permission in System Settings at any time.
Why Limelight
- ▸Accessibility permission lets a macOS app observe or control input like keys and mouse.
- ▸It is granted in System Settings under Privacy & Security, Accessibility.
- ▸The user must enable it explicitly and can revoke it anytime.
- ▸Limelight uses it to track the cursor and detect shortcuts for its overlay — nothing is logged or uploaded.
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FAQ
- Why does Limelight need Accessibility permission?
- To watch global mouse movement and keyboard shortcuts so it can draw the cursor spotlight and show keystrokes on screen. It is used only to render the overlay locally.
- Does Limelight log my keystrokes?
- No. Limelight displays the shortcuts you press as an overlay and records, stores, and uploads nothing. You can revoke the permission anytime in System Settings.