Choose folders the app may inspect
The Mac App Store app uses App Sandbox, macOS’s access boundary for apps. Opening a file gives the inspector access to that item. Inspecting components installed elsewhere may need a separate folder selection.
All folder grants in this app are read-only. They let the app inspect files and declarations; they do not let it edit those files, enable extensions, or repair an index.
Include applications and their components
- Choose the toolbar’s Grant Access… button, or Re-grant… if a folder is already selected.
- Select
/Applications, a user Applications folder, or the custom Applications folder you want inspected. - Confirm the selection. Open reports refresh to include readable components in that folder.
The grant is saved for later launches. Re-grant… replaces the stored Applications grant. The toolbar’s Remove button clears that grant.
Add other discovery locations
- Open Discovery Folders in the toolbar.
- Choose Add Folder… and select one or more locations.
- Use Done, then review the updated Discovery Coverage section.
Useful locations, if present, include ~/Library/QuickLook and ~/Library/Spotlight. The ~ means your home folder. You can also choose a folder containing an application or a development build.
In the folder chooser, press Command-Shift-G to enter a path. Each selected folder and its readable subfolders are inspected. Start with a relevant folder rather than your entire home folder.
Additional discovery grants are saved independently of the Applications grant. Remove one with the Remove button beside its path in Discovery Folders. Removing a grant does not delete the folder. Another saved grant that contains the same location can still provide access.
Search access is separate
The folder chosen in Search Diagnostics defines the search area for that window. Its read-only access is temporary and is not saved for the next session. Choosing a discovery folder does not automatically select it for search.
Understand the access indicator
The file’s access indicator describes how the app can reach it, such as a saved bookmark or a selected folder grant. A bookmark is a local record that lets the app ask macOS to reopen a location you previously selected. It is not a copy of the file and does not grant general access to the Mac.
If an item cannot be reopened after moving, deleting, or changing access to it, select it again with File → Open…. If a discovery root cannot be read, reselect that root and refresh.
Technical detail: boundaries and persistence
Recent-item and discovery-folder bookmarks are app-scoped, read-only records stored in local preferences. Access scopes are opened for the operation and closed afterward. Discovery checks readable system locations without requiring an Applications grant, but that is not unrestricted system access. Existing filesystem and macOS privacy restrictions still apply. Alias identities are used for deduplication and containment; reading follows the original authorized path.