MacOS Privileges for All MacOS Users Starting 3/24/2026

Posted: 2026-03-23 10:51:14   Expiration: 2026-05-31 10:51:14

All macOS users will now have the ability to elevate themselves to administrator permissions on their computers via the Privileges application. The Privileges application will also be updated to a new version, and deployed to all macOS devices under the EIT umbrella tomorrow, March 24th, at 8:00pm EST.

We are excited to announce that we will be pushing the Privileges application to all users that are using UMD-owned macOS devices. Yes, this includes Staff! For those of you that have never seen or used Privileges before, it is an application that will allow you to temporarily elevate yourself to administrator privileges. Please familiarize yourself with the process to do so by reading this article here. If you have already been using Privileges, fret not! Some changes are coming your way too. We’re updating the version of Privileges that we are using, so you’ll notice a few key differences, mainly in the visual appearance of the application. Notably, there is now an icon in the menu bar that you can use to easily elevate/de-elevate, as well as a visual timer on the dock icon letting you know how much longer you have admin permissions for.

These changes will be put in place tomorrow, March 24th, at 8:00pm EST. Please note that while we will be pushing these changes to the central management system all at once, it may take some time for them to get picked up by each individual machine, and the changes will not take place if your computer is powered off or asleep. Upon receiving these changes, your computer account will be demoted to a standard account (if you are currently elevated via Privileges) and the application will be updated. Note that this will not require a system reboot. You will, however, see a brief flash of your open windows and application dock.

The new version of Privileges will be pushed to any EIT-managed device that falls within our support. This includes anything manufactured in 2019 or later that is running macOS 14 Sequoia or later. If you notice that your computer has not received the updated Privileges application, this most likely means that your computer does not meet one of the requirements listed prior. Please email eit-help@umd.edu, as we will assess the situation and assist in getting the computer into support if applicable. 

-- Engineering IT: Ayla Hurley