I allowed screen recording but codus still can't record my screen
macOS does not apply this permission until codus restarts, so turning it on is not enough on its own. Open System Settings, click Privacy & Security, then Screen Recording, and switch codus on. Then quit codus completely (the codus menu at the top of your screen, then Quit codus) and open it again. After that the red Screen recording is not permitted notice clears and the recorder works.
This catches almost everyone, because nothing on screen tells you a restart is the missing step. You did grant it correctly. It does not take effect until codus has been reopened.
First, confirm this is the problem
Open the recorder with the rec button in the bar along the very top of codus. If you see a red box reading:
Screen recording is not permitted
macOS requires this to be granted in System Settings, then codus must be reopened.
or the Start recording button is greyed out with the tooltip Grant screen recording first, this page is your fix.
Why granting it did nothing yet
macOS keeps screen recording behind a system permission that only changes when an app starts up. codus reads it once, when it opens. So if codus was already running when you allowed it, codus is still working from the old answer (no) until you quit and reopen it. The permission is on; codus has not looked again.
The fix, in order
- Open System Settings from the Apple menu at the top-left of your screen.
- Click Privacy & Security in the list on the left.
- Click Screen Recording. On the newest macOS this may read Screen & System Audio Recording.
- Find codus in the list and turn its switch on. If codus is not listed, use Open the permission prompt in the recorder first (it adds codus to this list), then come back here.
- Quit codus completely. Click the codus menu at the very top-left, then Quit codus. Closing the window is not enough, because that leaves codus running. See Closing codus is not the same as quitting it if you are not sure of the difference.
- Open codus again.
macOS may ask you to quit and reopen codus for you with a Quit & Reopen button when you flip the switch. That button does the same job as steps 5 and 6.
If it still says not permitted
- You closed the window instead of quitting. codus has to be fully quit and reopened, not only closed. Use the codus menu, then Quit codus.
- You switched on the wrong app. The row you want is named codus. A code editor or terminal you also use is a different row.
What about the microphone and camera?
Those are separate macOS permissions in the same place.
- No sound from your voice. codus asks for the microphone the first time you record with one. If you said no, turn it back on under System Settings, Privacy & Security, Microphone, then reopen codus. The recorder always captures your computer's own audio regardless, as it notes with "System audio is always captured".
- Recording a camera take fails with "camera access was denied". Turn the camera on under System Settings, Privacy & Security, Camera, then reopen codus.
How do I know it worked?
The red Screen recording is not permitted box is gone, and Start recording is a normal, clickable button instead of a greyed-out one. Pick what to capture and record as usual.
Still stuck
Recording needs the Video module on your account, and it is macOS only. If the rec button is not in the top bar at all, that is a different situation: see Why can't I see the video tab?. If the permission is on, codus has been reopened, and it still will not record, tell us your macOS version and what the recorder shows.