Show HN: Auto Dismiss Mac OS "Allow <app> to find devices on local networks?"

dontallow is a small Swift utility that automatically answers “Don’t Allow” when macOS asks whether an app may find devices on the local network. Its purpose is to stop recurring permission prompts that macOS sometimes treats as new requests: Chromium browsers may launch from changing temporary paths, while apps installed in version-specific folders can acquire duplicate entries. Prompts can also be attributed to apps that are not running. The project argues that most users rarely need this permission, and that macOS offers no supported way to clean up the resulting entries or preemptively deny access.

After installation, a per-user launchd agent waits for a prompt using macOS Accessibility notifications, checks its text, then presses the denial button; if that action fails, it tries a simulated click. It does not alter system files or grant network access. Users can pause it, resume it, allowlist apps, or set a short grace period to click Allow themselves. Notifications identify each dismissal, and a command can decode the system’s Local Network rules, including orphaned entries. The tool requires Accessibility permission, which may need to be restored after upgrades; organizations can grant it through device-management profiles. It builds with Apple’s command-line tools, supports Intel and Apple Silicon, and is intended for English-language macOS 15 or later, though it can be built on macOS 13 and later.