---
title: startAccessingSecurityScopedResource()
framework: foundation
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: foundation/url/startaccessingsecurityscopedresource()
---

# startAccessingSecurityScopedResource()

Given a url created by resolving a bookmark data created with security scope, make the resource referenced by the url accessible to the process.

## Declaration

```swift
func startAccessingSecurityScopedResource() -> Bool
```

## Mentioned in

Implementing Handoff in Your App

## Return Value

Return Value true if the request to access the resource succeeded; otherwise, false.

## Discussion

Discussion When you obtain a security-scoped URL, such as by resolving a security-scoped bookmark, you can’t immediately use the resource it points to. To make the resource available to your app, by way of adding its location to your app’s sandbox, call this method on the security-scoped URL. You can also use Core Foundation equivalent, the CFURLStartAccessingSecurityScopedResource(_:) function. If this method returns true, then you must relinquish access as soon as you finish using the resource. Call the stopAccessingSecurityScopedResource() method to relinquish access. You must balance each call to startAccessingSecurityScopedResource() for a given security-scoped URL with a call to stopAccessingSecurityScopedResource(). When you make the last balanced call to stopAccessingSecurityScopedResource(), you immediately lose access to the resource in question. warning: If you fail to relinquish your access to file-system resources when you no longer need them, your app leaks kernel resources. If sufficient kernel resources leak, your app loses its ability to add file-system locations to its sandbox, such as with Powerbox or security-scoped bookmarks, until relaunched. note: Security-scoped bookmarks aren’t available in versions of macOS prior to OS X 10.7.3.

## See Also

### Working with security scoped resources

- [stopAccessingSecurityScopedResource()](foundation/url/stopaccessingsecurityscopedresource().md)