[BUG] Computer Use: request_access returns "not_installed" for all apps including macOS system apps

Resolved 💬 2 comments Opened Mar 24, 2026 by kaliseo Closed Mar 24, 2026

Bug Description

Computer Use in Cowork mode cannot detect any installed applications. Every call to request_access returns "reason": "not_installed" for all apps, including macOS system apps like Finder, Safari, and TextEdit.

No permission dialog is ever shown to the user.

Environment

  • Claude for Mac version: 1.1.8359 (64248d)
  • macOS (French locale)
  • Plan: Max
  • Display setup: Multi-monitor with DisplayLink Manager
  • Computer Use toggle: Enabled (Settings → General)

Permissions

  • ✅ Accessibility: Claude.app enabled
  • ✅ Screen Recording: Claude.app enabled

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Enable Computer Use in Settings → General
  2. Open a Cowork session
  3. Ask Claude to interact with any desktop app
  4. Claude calls request_access
  5. All apps are denied with "not_installed"

Apps Tested (all returned "not_installed")

  • Display names: Finder, Safari, Inkscape, Google Chrome, Notes, Warp, Terminal
  • Bundle IDs: com.apple.finder, com.apple.Safari, com.apple.Notes, com.apple.TextEdit, org.inkscape.Inkscape, dev.warp.Warp-Stable

What I Tried

  • Restarting Claude (Cmd+Q and relaunch)
  • Full Mac restart
  • Reinstalling Claude from claude.com/download
  • Verified Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions are granted
  • Removed and re-added Claude in Accessibility permissions
  • Started multiple new Cowork sessions
  • Tried both display names and bundle identifiers

Expected Behavior

A permission dialog should appear asking to grant access to the requested applications.

Actual Behavior

No dialog appears. All apps are immediately denied as "not_installed". The list_granted_applications call returns an empty allowlist.

Possible Cause

Multi-monitor setup using DisplayLink Manager may interfere with app enumeration. DisplayLink creates virtual displays which could affect how the computer-use MCP server scans installed applications.

View original on GitHub ↗

This issue has 2 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗