# Does NotchStar clipboard history need any permission

> NotchStar's Clipboard tool requests no Accessibility, Screen Recording or other permission in its code. It reads the Mac clipboard and keeps history in memory.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-permissions-notchstar/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Published 2026-11-04.

NotchStar's Clipboard tool does not ask you for a permission. The code reads the standard Mac clipboard and nothing else, and it contains no request for Accessibility, Screen Recording, Input Monitoring or any other access.

## What it reads

It reads the general clipboard, which is the same place Command C writes to. It does not watch your keystrokes, read your screen or look inside other apps. See [how it detects copies](https://www.notchstar.com/help/how-notchstar-detects-clipboard-copies/).

## What it does with it

The list stays in memory, up to 50 items, and is cleared when you quit. Nothing is written to disk or sent over the network. See [privacy questions](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-privacy-questions/).

## Which NotchStar tools do ask for permission

Not every tool is the same. The Calendar and Reminders tool asks for access through macOS the first time, as its feature page explains. The Mirror tool uses the camera. The Clipboard tool is separate from both.

## Newer macOS versions

Apple may add prompts around how apps read the clipboard in some macOS versions. This page does not cover them. If your version shows a prompt about NotchStar and the clipboard, allow it, or the history may stay empty.

## Limits

NotchStar cannot see a copy that an app marks as concealed. That is a privacy choice, not a missing permission. See [password manager copies](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-password-manager-copies/).

The tool is on the [Clipboard feature page](https://www.notchstar.com/features/clipboard/).

## Quick answers.

### Does the Clipboard tool need Accessibility access?

No. Its code reads the general clipboard and does not request Accessibility.

## Keep reading.

- [Clipboard history that lives in your notch](https://www.notchstar.com/features/clipboard/): Searchable clipboard history in the Mac notch: text, links, images and files. Skips password manager copies. Click any item to copy it again.
- [How NotchStar detects what you copy](https://www.notchstar.com/help/how-notchstar-detects-clipboard-copies/): NotchStar checks the Mac clipboard about every half second. When its change counter moves, it reads the new item and adds it to history locally.
- [Is NotchStar clipboard history private](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-privacy-questions/): NotchStar keeps clipboard history in memory on your Mac only, never on disk or a server. It skips password manager copies and clears on quit.
- [A privacy checklist for any Mac notch app](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/notch-app-privacy-checklist/): Seven checks to make before you install a notch app: permissions, notarization, network use, data storage and what to do if something looks off.

## More in Clipboard.

- [How to search your clipboard history in NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/help/search-your-clipboard-history/): Open the notch, pick Clipboard and type to filter 50 recent copies. Search ignores capitals and accents, and typing image finds copied images.
- [How many items NotchStar clipboard history keeps](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-limit-50-items/): NotchStar keeps the 50 most recent clipboard items, at most 10 of them images. Older items drop off, and the list shows the 30 newest matches at a time.
- [Why your NotchStar clipboard history clears when you quit](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-clears-on-quit/): NotchStar keeps clipboard history in memory only, so quitting the app clears it. Nothing is written to disk, and password manager copies are skipped.
- [How to paste an older item from NotchStar clipboard history](https://www.notchstar.com/help/paste-from-notchstar-clipboard-history/): Open the notch, pick Clipboard, click the item you want, then press Command V where you want it. NotchStar copies the item back and does not paste for you.
- [What happens when you copy the same thing twice in NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/help/copy-again-moves-clipboard-item-to-top/): Copy the same text, image or file again and NotchStar moves it to the top of the clipboard list instead of adding a duplicate. Here is how it matches.
- [What NotchStar does with files you copy in Finder](https://www.notchstar.com/help/clipboard-history-files-copied-in-finder/): NotchStar records files copied in Finder as files, with their icon, not as text names. Click a row to copy the file again. Search matches name and path.