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A developer has introduced dontallow, a small open-source macOS utility that automatically selects “Don’t Allow” when it detects a Local Network permission prompt. The tool is intended for people encountering repeated prompts, but it requires Accessibility access and does not choose “Allow.”
A developer has introduced dontallow, a small open-source macOS utility that automatically presses “Don’t Allow” when it detects the system’s Local Network permission prompt. The tool addresses repeated permission dialogs reported by some Mac users, but it needs Accessibility permission to control the prompt and never grants network access on a user’s behalf.
The project’s GitHub description says macOS 15 Sequoia and later display a prompt when an app first tries to find devices on a local network. Although the system is meant to remember a user’s decision, the developer says some applications trigger the prompt again because they run from changing or temporary paths. Chromium-based browsers are among the examples cited: the report says some copy their app bundle into a temporary folder at launch, which can make macOS treat the app as new. Apps installed in version-specific directories can also receive new entries after updates.
According to the project, dontallow monitors windows created by the system process UserNotificationCenter, checks the dialog text, and presses the denial button when the window matches a Local Network prompt. It is designed to sit idle until a relevant window appears. The project says it uses two short Swift files, has no external dependencies, and does not alter system files or disable macOS protections. These are descriptions from the project; the supplied material does not include an independent test of the software.
Users can pause the agent, add app names to an allowlist, or uninstall it. A dry-run mode logs what the program would do without pressing a button. The project says each dismissal generates a notification identifying the app and giving the pause command. It also provides a command to inspect the system’s Local Network rule store, including entries the developer describes as orphaned.
Control Over Repeated Permission Prompts
For users who repeatedly see the same dialog, dontallow offers a way to reduce interruptions while retaining the ability to approve a specific app later. That distinction matters because Local Network access can support Chromecast and AirPlay discovery, multiplayer games, and printer or scanner utilities. Automatically denying every prompt may stop those features from working until the user changes the app’s permission.
The utility does not remove the underlying permission decision or decide which apps deserve access. Instead, its stated behavior is to choose “Don’t Allow” by default and leave exceptions to the user. A user can pause it before launching an app and choose Allow, add an app to the allowlist, or change the setting in System Settings. The source says a denial can be reversed through the Local Network settings panel.
The project also points to an administrative limitation: it says Local Network permission cannot be pre-set by mobile device management, while Accessibility can be provisioned for managed Macs. That could make a tool of this kind relevant to fleet administrators facing repeated prompts, although deploying it requires signing and policy configuration. Its use also introduces a separate trust decision: users must grant a utility permission that lets it interact with interface controls.
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Why macOS May Ask Again
Local Network prompts ask whether an app may discover, connect to, and collect data from devices on a user’s network. The project says macOS associates the decision with an app’s path, so an application launched from a new temporary or versioned location may appear to the permission system as a different app. It also reports that some dialogs are attributed to apps that users do not believe are running. Those explanations come from the project’s account and have not been independently verified in the supplied material.
The developer says there is no supported way to prune the relevant list, that no mobile device management payload can pre-deny the permission, and that tccutil reset does not cover it. Dontallow is presented as a workaround rather than an Apple-supported fix for recurring prompts.
The project lists macOS 13 or later as the build requirement, but says the Local Network prompt itself exists only on macOS 15 or later. It can be built with Apple’s Command Line Tools without Xcode, and the project says Homebrew builds natively for Apple Silicon and Intel. The developer reports testing on an Intel Mac running macOS 26.6 and requests reports from other versions. The prompt matcher currently supports English-language macOS only.
““It presses Don’t Allow for you, within a fraction of a second, every time.””
— The dontallow project’s GitHub description
Testing, Compatibility and Permission Limits
The supplied material does not establish how often macOS fails to remember Local Network decisions, how many users encounter recurring prompts, or whether the project’s explanation applies across affected apps and operating-system versions. The developer reports testing on one Intel Mac running macOS 26.6; compatibility on other systems remains open to user reports. The matcher’s English-only support also limits its current usefulness on localized installations.
The tool requires Accessibility permission because it interacts with a system dialog. The project says macOS may associate that grant with the binary’s code signature, meaning an upgrade can require users to add the utility again in Accessibility settings. No independent security review, adoption figures, or evidence about long-term reliability appears in the supplied source. It is also unclear whether Apple will change the permission system or the behavior that leads to repeated prompts.
Installation and User-Control Options
The project’s instructions offer installation through a Homebrew tap or by building and installing from source. Installation writes a per-user launchd agent, starts it, and opens Accessibility settings so the user can grant the required permission. The developer says a status command repeats setup instructions if that grant is missing; after an upgrade, users may need to remove and re-add the utility’s Accessibility entry.
Users who want to test the behavior without automated button presses can run the project’s dry-run mode. Those who need local device discovery can pause the agent before approving an app, use the allowlist, or change the Local Network toggle in System Settings. The developer says a future release signed with a Developer ID is intended to remove the repeated Accessibility-grant step after builds change.
For managed Macs, the project describes a deployment path involving a Developer ID-signed build and a Privacy Preferences Policy Control profile granting Accessibility access, followed by per-user installation. The source does not give a release schedule for the planned signed version. Compatibility reports and any changes to the project’s support for localized macOS prompts remain future developments.
Key Questions
What does dontallow do?
It watches for the macOS Local Network permission prompt and, when it recognizes one, presses “Don’t Allow.” The project says it does not choose Allow.
Does the tool grant local network access?
No. Its stated behavior is to deny detected prompts. To allow an app, a user can pause dontallow and approve the prompt, add the app to the allowlist, or change its Local Network setting in System Settings.
Which macOS versions does it support?
The project lists macOS 13 or later to build the utility, while the relevant Local Network prompt appears on macOS 15 Sequoia and later. The developer reports testing on Intel hardware running macOS 26.6; broader compatibility is not established in the supplied material.
Why does dontallow need Accessibility permission?
It uses macOS Accessibility controls to identify the system dialog and press its denial button. Granting that permission is required for the automated interaction, and users can check its status with the project’s status command.
Can a user reverse a denial?
The project says a dismissed prompt records a denial that can be changed under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network. Users should check the relevant app’s setting if a local-network feature stops working.
Source: github.com
