Permissions
Cliqer asks for as little as it can. On macOS two permissions are required, the rest are asked when you first use the feature. On Windows, sharing your screen needs no permission at all.
The checklist
The Welcome to Cliqer window shows Allow Cliqer to work with your Mac: "Screen Recording and Accessibility are needed to share your screen and move slides. The rest are asked when you first use them." Reopen it any time from Cliqer > Permissions….
| Permission | Why Cliqer asks | Required | What breaks without it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Recording | Share your screen or a window with the room. | Yes | You cannot share a display or window. The Share Screen picker shows no live previews ("Allow Screen Recording for live previews of your screens." with Open Permissions). Cliqer says Screen Recording Is Off: "Allow Cliqer to record the screen in System Settings to share it." |
| Accessibility | Send Next and Back to the focused window (Control Mode: Focused window). | Yes | Next and Back do not reach your slides. Cliqer says Accessibility Is Off: "Allow Cliqer to control your slides in System Settings." In Split View, Devices shows "Accessibility access is needed to move slides." |
| Camera | Put your camera in Studio. | No | No camera appears as a Studio input. |
| Microphone | Mix your microphone into the room. | No | Your voice is not mixed into the room or the Studio. |
| Automation | Read slide notes and positions from PowerPoint and Keynote. | No | Cliqer cannot read slide positions or notes from those apps. The presentation error offers Open System Settings to fix it. |
| Bluetooth | Connect Bluetooth slide clickers. | No | Bluetooth clickers are not found. |
| Local Network | Find NDI sources and Companion. | No | NDI sources on your network do not show up, and Companion cannot connect. |
Each row shows Granted once it is on. Otherwise the button reads Grant (not asked yet), Open System Settings (denied) or Open Settings (state unknown).
How each one is asked
- Screen Recording. Grant asks macOS and opens System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording. macOS applies Screen Recording only to a new launch, so after you turn Cliqer on the row says "Turn Cliqer on in System Settings, then quit and reopen Cliqer: macOS applies Screen Recording only to a new launch." with Open System Settings and Quit and Reopen.
- Accessibility. The first Grant shows the system prompt. Later it opens Privacy & Security > Accessibility. Cliqer notices the change right away.
- Camera and Microphone. macOS asks the first time Cliqer uses them. If you denied it, the button opens the matching privacy page.
- Automation. Asked per app (Keynote, PowerPoint) when that app is running.
- Bluetooth. macOS asks when Cliqer first looks for clickers.
- Local Network. macOS has no way to read this permission, so its status always shows as unknown. Open the page to check it.
The Continue button
Continue is enabled when Screen Recording and Accessibility are granted. Until then the note reads "Continue is enabled when Screen Recording and Accessibility are granted."
The prompts macOS shows
| Permission | macOS prompt text |
|---|---|
| Camera | Cliqer shows your camera in the studio and sends it to the room. |
| Microphone | Cliqer mixes your microphone into the room audio. |
| Bluetooth | Cliqer connects to Bluetooth slide clickers. |
| Local Network | Cliqer finds NDI sources and Companion on your network. |
| Screen recording | Cliqer shares the screen you choose with your room. |
Windows has no permissions checklist. These are the places where Windows decides.
| Area | What Windows does | What breaks without it |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sharing | No permission needed. | Nothing to fix. |
| Camera | Privacy settings decide whether Cliqer may use cameras. Cliqer asks when you first use one. | No camera in Studio. |
| Microphone | Privacy settings decide which apps may use the microphone. | Your voice is not mixed into the room. |
| Virtual screen | The first time you add a virtual screen Windows shows one administrator (UAC) prompt. Cliqer itself runs without elevation. | The virtual screen is not created. Cliqer says Virtual Screen Not Created: "Windows did not add the virtual screen." |
| Slides app running as administrator | Windows blocks keys sent from a normal app to an elevated one. | Next and Back do not reach the slides. See below. |
| Windows Hello and passkeys | Windows draws the dialog. | Sign-in lock and passkey sign-in are unavailable. |
Camera and microphone privacy
- Open Windows Settings > Privacy & security > Camera (or Microphone).
- Make sure access is on for apps.
- Return to Cliqer and retry.
You can jump to the microphone page from Cliqer Settings > Audio > Privacy > Microphone privacy settings, and from the Welcome to Cliqer window with Open Settings next to Camera and Microphone.
If a camera cannot start, Cliqer says Camera Did Not Start: "The camera could not start." Check the privacy page above, then try again. The Welcome to Cliqer window says "Sharing your screen needs no permission on Windows. Camera and microphone follow your privacy settings; Cliqer asks when you first use them."
When the slides app runs as administrator
Windows does not let a normal app send keys to an app running as administrator. Cliqer tells you in two places:
- Room page (Windows layout): "Cliqer can't control the app in front". "That app runs as administrator. Run Cliqer as administrator too, or switch to a normal app."
- Devices page, under Presentation control: Blocked. "The app in front runs as administrator, so Windows blocks Cliqer's keys. Run Cliqer as administrator too, or switch to a normal app."
When it works the same row says Ready: "Clicker and Stream Deck presses reach the app in front."