[Feature Request]: Make the Screen Recording permission optional

[miodragnikac]

Description

Many people don't feel comfortable enabling this option so please make it optional and if it is needed for Menu bar styling then disable that option until permission is enabled. Most of us want to hide the icons and nothing else.

Currently, you cannot even open the app if you do not allow Screen recording permission.

Screenshots

No response

[Write]

I'm pretty it's absolutely necessary. It's not just for Menu bar styling. (i'm not the dev)

[holdit]

If the permission isn't needed just to hide icons, then I agree that it should be optional. Apps shouldn't have more permissions than required.

Also, maybe README.md should have a section with the list of permissions and an explanation why they're needed? That would also help when someone has questions about this.

[CrypticComputation]

As @Write said, I'm quite certain the app would cease to function properly without the screen recording permission. However, with the influx of new users due to Bartenders acquisition I do agree that once the new version is released, the ReadMe could have an FAQ added

[miodragnikac]

Maybe it is needed just for the "show on mouse hover" function and if that's the case also disable that option in the settings until enabled. That permission should be optional.

[CrypticComputation]

Absolutely. I understand your concern. That is a gargantuan amount of trust to give an app. Just to be sure though, as I'm sure you're aware. As of MacOS 14, there are better indicators to let you know when your location, microphone and screen recording are in use for a peace of mind

[JonathanVarild]

I've been messing around with the code a bit and this certainly seems possible. Even without the Screen Recording permission, I am still able to hide the menu bar items, etc. The menu bar appearance can however not be customized and returns a permission error as expected.

[vr8hub]

Just came here to comment on this as well. If we don't care about the Menu Appearance (I don't), then we shouldn't have to give this permission before Ice will even operate.

[jordanbaird]

I can work on this. @JonathanVarild is right. Screen recording is not required to hide menu bar icons. It is required to move them individually from within the app interface, but Ice doesn't have that feature yet.

[vr8hub]

Awesome! When Ice gets the feature to move them within the app interface, please make that optional as well. Thank you for your work!

[leoravagnani]

I was gonna open this same issue as I don't currently use the styling feature and was thinking the permission wasn't necessary for my use.

On the same token, why the accessibility permission is also needed? I'm transitioning from Hidden Bar (was holding on to a fix when using multiple monitors) and it doesn't ask for any system permissions. My main interest is just to hide the icons for now.

[jordanbaird]

@leoravagnani Accessibility permission is required in order for Ice to be able to get the location of the menu bar items and application menus. It's required for features like show on hover/click/scroll, auto rehide, and hiding the application menus, which are all what I would consider critical features.

[leoravagnani]

@jordanbaird makes sense! maybe Hidden Bar is using older APIs then, I remember the dev of the fork I'm using mentioning something like that. Still as people said above it would be nice to have the reasoning for the permissions on the README or a FAQ, the Bartender debacle has people rightfully paranoid haha

[jordanbaird]

Update on this: It's still on my list, but making this change will require reworks all around the app, so it keeps getting pushed back. I'll definitely get it done, there have just been other things that have taken higher priority.

[miodragnikac]

Thanks, looking forward to it

[pranavgoel29]

@jordanbaird Are there any updates on when this will be available. Thanks, awesome work with the app!