Permissions
macOS asks before any program records the screen or controls another app. reel needs:
| Permission | For | Needed by |
|---|---|---|
| Screen Recording | Capturing the window and its sound | Every reel |
| Accessibility | Finding buttons, clicking, typing, pressing keys and scrolling | App reels that drive the app (Click, Type, Key, Scroll, Wait, Set Size, a zoom on an element) |
Both are granted to the terminal reel runs in, not to reel itself: if you run reel from Ghostty, Ghostty gets them. The first recording asks; you can also add the terminal yourself in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
reel doctor reports what is granted, without asking for anything:
$ reel doctor
Screen Recording: granted
Accessibility: granted
Web pages: WebKit, built in (Set Browser chromium for Chromium)
Chromium: Google Chrome 141.0 at /Applications/Google Chrome.app
A web reel needs only Screen Recording: reel drives the page itself, in WebKit or over Chromium's DevTools, without Accessibility.
An app reel uses the real mouse and keyboard, so the demo shows a real cursor and real clicks. Leave the Mac alone until it finishes. Before every step reel checks the app is still in front; if it isn't, reel brings it back once, and otherwise stops the reel, so typing can never land in another app.
A web reel leaves your mouse and keyboard alone: reel draws the cursor into the video afterwards.