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Screen Recording Permissions and Troubleshooting Poll Everywhere for Mac Display Issues

The Team from Poll Everywhere
  • Updated

In this article:

    Apple introduced a new set of privacy protections starting with macOS Catalina (10.15). One of these is a permission called "Screen Recording." Any app that makes use of content that's on your screen now explicitly needs your permission.

    Note: The Poll Everywhere app does not record your screen. It examines what's on the screen to ensure that activities display properly during a Keynote or PowerPoint presentation. The data is not saved or sent anywhere.

    Please allow screen recording permissions for Poll Everywhere to work properly. If polls aren't appearing correctly or permission dialogs don't show up, resetting screen recording permissions can often resolve these issues. To do this, follow the steps below. Note that you will need the password for an administrator account in order to set these permissions.

    Reset Screen Recording Permissions

    Step 1: Close Applications

    • Fully exit Poll Everywhere.
    • Close Microsoft PowerPoint and/or Apple Keynote if they're running.

    Step 2: Remove Screen Recording Permissions

    • Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner.
    • Select system settings (or system preferences on older macOS versions).
    • Navigate to privacy & security.
    • Scroll down and select screen & system audio recording.Screenrecord1.png
    • In the right panel, find Poll Everywhere in the list.
    • Click the "−" (minus) button to remove Poll Everywhere from the list.Screenrecord2.png
    • Confirm removal if prompted.

    Step 3: Restart Applications

    • Open Poll Everywhere for Mac.
    • If prompted for screen recording permissions, click "open system settings".
      • (Note: This prompt may appear behind the main Poll Everywhere window.)Screenrecord3.png
    • Toggle Poll Everywhere ON under screen & system audio recording.
    • Launch PowerPoint or Keynote as needed.

    Step 4: Test Functionality

    • Create a new presentation in PowerPoint or Keynote.
    • Insert a Poll Everywhere slide.
    • Start the presentation and ensure the Poll Everywhere activity displays correctly.

    Additional Troubleshooting Steps

    💡 If issues persist after resetting permissions, try the following:

    Restart Your Computer

    • A full system restart often resolves persistent permission issues.

    Force Monitor Selection

    If display issues continue or you do not want to allow Screen Recording:

    1. Open Poll Everywhere for Mac.
    2. Go to the Help menu.
    3. Select Force Monitor Selection.
    4. Choose the appropriate display and size for your polls.

     Reinstall Poll Everywhere

    If Poll Everywhere was installed via automatic update:

    1. Uninstall the Poll Everywhere application.
    2. Download a fresh copy from the Installing Poll Everywhere for Mac.
    3. After installation, open Poll Everywhere.
    4. When prompted, enable Screen & system audio recording permissions.

    Contact Poll Everywhere Support

    If you've tried all the steps above and still experience issues, please contact support with the following details:

    • Your macOS version
    • Poll Everywhere for Mac version
    • PowerPoint or Keynote version (if applicable)
    • A description of the issue you're experiencing
    • Please gather your logs and send it to us.

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