diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e28c048..47ec901 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -24,8 +24,12 @@ grep 'public key' vaultik_backup_private_key.txt
 vaultik config set age_recipients.0 age1YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY_HERE
 vaultik config set storage_url "file:///Volumes/usbstick/mybackup"
 
-# back up your home directory (the default config includes a "home"
-# snapshot of ~ with sensible excludes)
+# macOS only: grant your terminal app Full Disk Access first
+# (System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access), otherwise
+# the backup will abort with a permission error on protected directories
+
+# run your first backup (the default config backs up ~ and /Applications
+# with sensible excludes)
 vaultik snapshot create
 
 # see what you have
@@ -159,6 +163,10 @@ in the file are preserved; intermediate maps are created as needed.
 
 **`snapshot create`**: Perform incremental backup of configured snapshots.
 * Optional snapshot names argument to create specific snapshots (default: all)
+* On macOS, the terminal application running vaultik needs Full Disk Access
+  (System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access) to read
+  TCC-protected directories; without it the backup aborts with a permission
+  error that explains how to fix it
 * `--cron`: Silent unless error (for crontab)
 * `--prune`: After backup, drop older snapshots of each backed-up name and
   remove orphaned blobs from remote storage. By default keeps only the latest
diff --git a/internal/snapshot/permission_error_test.go b/internal/snapshot/permission_error_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bbde682
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/snapshot/permission_error_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package snapshot
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"runtime"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestWrapPermissionError(t *testing.T) {
+	// Non-permission errors pass through unchanged.
+	plain := errors.New("disk on fire")
+	if got := wrapPermissionError("/some/path", plain); got != plain {
+		t.Errorf("non-permission error should pass through, got %v", got)
+	}
+
+	// Permission errors get remediation instructions.
+	permErr := fmt.Errorf("open /x: %w", os.ErrPermission)
+	wrapped := wrapPermissionError("/Users/u/Library/Calendars", permErr)
+
+	if !errors.Is(wrapped, os.ErrPermission) {
+		t.Error("wrapped error should still match os.ErrPermission")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(wrapped.Error(), "/Users/u/Library/Calendars") {
+		t.Error("wrapped error should name the offending path")
+	}
+
+	if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
+		if !strings.Contains(wrapped.Error(), "Full Disk Access") {
+			t.Errorf("macOS permission error should mention Full Disk Access:\n%s", wrapped.Error())
+		}
+		if !strings.Contains(wrapped.Error(), "System Settings") {
+			t.Errorf("macOS permission error should point at System Settings:\n%s", wrapped.Error())
+		}
+	} else {
+		if !strings.Contains(wrapped.Error(), "--skip-errors") {
+			t.Errorf("non-macOS permission error should mention --skip-errors:\n%s", wrapped.Error())
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/snapshot/scanner.go b/internal/snapshot/scanner.go
index 4102a43..320b96a 100644
--- a/internal/snapshot/scanner.go
+++ b/internal/snapshot/scanner.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -631,7 +632,7 @@ func (s *Scanner) scanPhase(ctx context.Context, path string, result *ScanResult
 				return nil // Continue scanning
 			}
 			log.Debug("Error accessing filesystem entry", "path", filePath, "error", err)
-			return err
+			return wrapPermissionError(filePath, err)
 		}
 
 		// Check context cancellation
@@ -1290,7 +1291,7 @@ func (s *Scanner) processFileStreaming(ctx context.Context, fileToProcess *FileT
 
 	file, err := s.fs.Open(fileToProcess.Path)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("opening file: %w", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("opening file: %w", wrapPermissionError(fileToProcess.Path, err))
 	}
 	defer func() { _ = file.Close() }()
 
@@ -1447,6 +1448,24 @@ func (s *Scanner) detectDeletedFilesFromMap(ctx context.Context, knownFiles map[
 	return nil
 }
 
+// wrapPermissionError augments permission errors with platform-specific
+// remediation instructions. On macOS, TCC-protected directories (Calendars,
+// Reminders, Photos, etc.) return EPERM unless the running application has
+// been granted Full Disk Access.
+func wrapPermissionError(path string, err error) error {
+	if !errors.Is(err, os.ErrPermission) {
+		return err
+	}
+	if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot read %s: %w\n\n"+
+			"macOS is blocking access to this path. Grant Full Disk Access to your\n"+
+			"terminal application (or the app running vaultik):\n\n"+
+			"  System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access\n\n"+
+			"then quit and reopen the terminal and re-run the backup", path, err)
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("cannot read %s: %w (check file permissions, or run with --skip-errors to continue past unreadable files)", path, err)
+}
+
 // compileExcludePatterns compiles the exclude patterns into glob matchers
 func compileExcludePatterns(patterns []string) []compiledPattern {
 	var compiled []compiledPattern