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Grant the permissions Clevera needs to record

Turn on the permissions Clevera needs to record: Screen Recording, Accessibility and Input Monitoring on a Mac, Screen Recording and Mouse & Keyboard Capture on Windows, plus Microphone and Camera if you use them. Fix a permission that won't stick.

Updated 8 min read

Clevera needs a few permissions before it can record your screen and your clicks, plus two optional ones for your microphone and camera. On a Mac you turn on three macOS permissions. On Windows there's usually nothing to grant for the screen and input; you only allow the microphone and camera if you use them. This article explains each permission, why Clevera needs it and how to turn it on.

What each permission is for

Permission Required? Why Clevera needs it
Screen Recording Required To capture what's on your screen. Capture only happens while a recording is in progress.
Accessibility Required To read your mouse clicks and keyboard context, so the AI can add zooms, click highlights and accurate captions.
Input Monitoring Required To capture keystrokes reliably, even inside apps that protect their input. Without it, text you type can be missed.
Microphone Optional To record your voice, which gives the AI context to narrate and caption your video.
Camera Optional To record your webcam as a separate video track.

You can't record on a Mac without the three required permissions.

You can record without a microphone or camera. To learn what Clevera does with what it captures, see Understand what the desktop app captures.

Turn on the permissions

After you sign in, Clevera opens the window Welcome to Clevera — Enable permissions to get started whenever a required permission is missing. Each row has an Enable button. When a permission is on, the button turns into a green Enabled chip. Hover the ⓘ next to a row to read why Clevera needs it.

The Clevera permissions window with five permissions, two enabled and three waiting.
Continue unlocks once Accessibility, Input Monitoring and Screen Recording are on.

  1. Enable Microphone and Camera (optional)

    Click Enable next to Microphone and Camera if you plan to use them. The first time, macOS shows its own prompt; click Allow (or OK). If you previously denied access, Clevera opens System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone (or Camera) instead; turn Clevera on there.

  2. Enable Accessibility

    Click Enable next to Accessibility. macOS asks you to open System Settings. In Privacy & Security → Accessibility, turn Clevera on. You may need to enter your Mac password or use Touch ID.

  3. Enable Input Monitoring

    Click Enable next to Input Monitoring. Clevera opens Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring. Turn Clevera on. If Clevera isn't in the list, click +, choose Clevera from Applications and click Open.

  4. Enable Screen Recording

    Click Enable next to Screen Recording. Clevera asks macOS for access and opens Privacy & Security → Screen Recording (called Screen & System Audio Recording on newer macOS). Turn Clevera on.

  5. Relaunch Clevera if asked

    macOS may say Clevera must quit and reopen before the change takes effect. Choose Quit & Reopen, or quit Clevera yourself and open it again. The window re-checks every second, so rows turn Enabled as soon as macOS reports them.

  6. Click Continue

    Continue becomes available once all three required permissions are on. The recording window opens.

Check or change permissions later

  • Open the permissions window any time from More → Permissions in the recording window, or from the Clevera menu → Permissions.

@tab Windows

  • Open the permissions window any time from More → Permissions in the recording window, or right-click the Clevera icon in the notification area (system tray) → Permissions.
  • Every time the recording window opens, Clevera checks the required permissions again. If one is missing, it shows the permissions window instead of the recording window.
  • If the microphone or camera permission is off, its row in the recording window says Permission required. Click the row to open the permissions window.

Troubleshooting

Permission is on but Clevera still can't record

This is the most common problem on a Mac, usually after an update or after moving the app. macOS keeps an old entry for Clevera that no longer matches the app.

  1. Quit Clevera.
  2. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording.
  3. Select Clevera and click − to remove it.
  4. Click +, choose Clevera from Applications and turn it on.
  5. Do the same for Accessibility and Input Monitoring if recording still fails.
  6. Open Clevera again.
macOS Screen Recording privacy settings with Clevera selected.
Remove Clevera with −, then add it again with +.

Clicks in some windows aren't captured (Windows)

If you record an app that runs as administrator, Windows doesn't let a normal app read clicks and keys inside it. Clevera keeps recording and shows Input Event Capture Limited. The message mentions restarting Clevera as administrator from Settings > Permissions, but there is no such option. To capture those clicks, quit Clevera, then right-click Clevera in the Start menu and choose Run as administrator, or run the other app without administrator rights.

Error messages

On a Mac, these appear in a Recording Error alert; click Copy Details to send the details to support. On Windows, error boxes end with "Would you like to copy error details to clipboard?"; click Yes to copy them.

Message What to do
"Screen capture permission is required for recording" Turn on Screen Recording for Clevera, then try again.
"Accessibility permission is required for recording" (macOS) Turn on Accessibility for Clevera, then try again.
"Required permissions are not granted" Open More → Permissions and enable the required permissions.
Permission Required (Windows) The message names the permission. Open More → Permissions and allow it.
"Unable to verify screen recording permission" (macOS) Remove Clevera from Screen Recording, add it again, then relaunch. See the steps above.
"Screen content is unavailable" (macOS) Usually the Screen Recording permission needs to be re-granted. Remove Clevera from Screen Recording, add it again and restart the app.

For other problems, see Clevera can't record my screen.

Understand what the desktop app capturesWhat each permission lets Clevera record, and what it doesn't.Add your microphone, camera or system audioPick devices and learn the system audio rules.Record your full screen, a display or an appStart your first recording.Clevera can't record my screenMore fixes for recording errors.