macOS ScreenCaptureKit Explained
ScreenCaptureKit is Apple's modern screen-capture framework, introduced in macOS 12.3 to replace the older CoreGraphics-based capture APIs. It is the underlying mechanism most modern proctors and screen recorders use on Mac.
SCK provides three primitives: SCStream (continuous frame capture), SCScreenshotManager (one-shot screenshots), and SCContentFilter (specify what to capture). The content filter accepts inclusion or exclusion lists for displays, applications, and windows. A privacy-flagged window is excluded by macOS itself even when not in the exclusion list - the OS filters before the API returns frames. ScreenCaptureKit replaced CGWindowListCreateImage and AVCaptureScreenInput as the recommended path; legacy capture clients are gradually being moved over. macOS 15.4+ introduced an entitlement that lets certain capture clients see flagged windows; we are evaluating implications for the overlay on those versions.
Key points
- SCK = SCStream + SCScreenshotManager + SCContentFilter.
- Per-window privacy honored at the OS level.
- Replaced CGWindowListCreateImage and AVCaptureScreenInput.
- macOS 12.3+ ships SCK.
- macOS 15.4+ added entitlement for privileged capture - implications still being evaluated.
Common questions
Why did Apple introduce SCK?
Performance, security, and compatibility with new macOS architecture (the older APIs predated screen-share permissions).
Does the entitlement in 15.4 break the LDBypass overlay?
For specific capture clients with the entitlement, yes. For typical proctor apps without it, no. We recommend macOS 14 or 15.0-15.3 for maximum overlay reliability.
Can a third-party app get the privileged entitlement?
It requires a request to Apple and approval. Standard proctor apps in 2026 do not have it.