Have you noticed an unfamiliar orange or green dot in the upper right-hand corner of your iPhone’s screen while using certain apps? Not to worry, this is Apple’s newest feature of the iOS 14 software update.
The orange and green dots that you might see on your iPhone are indicators that one or both of your iPhone's built-in cameras or microphones are actively in use by an app.
These indicators were introduced in iOS 14 to provide users with greater transparency and control over their privacy. Apple has added this feature to protect your privacy and to notify you if any apps are suspiciously trying to record your activities.
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Orange dot: This indicator means that an app on your iPhone is currently using your microphone.
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Green dot: This indicator means that an app on your iPhone is currently using your camera, or both your camera and microphone.
The orange and green dots appear in the top-right corner of your iPhone's screen, next to the other status icons such as signal strength, Wi-Fi, and battery life. They will remain visible as long as the app is actively using your microphone or camera.
Here are some reasons why you might see the orange or green dots on your iPhone:
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You are using an app that requires access to your microphone or camera, such as the FaceTime app for video calls or the Voice Memos app for recording audio.
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You have granted an app permission to use your microphone or camera, even if you are not actively using the app. For example, if you have granted the Facebook app permission to use your microphone, it may activate the microphone in the background to listen for certain keywords or phrases.
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There is a background process running that is using your microphone or camera. For example, if you have enabled the "Hey Siri" feature, your iPhone's microphone will be constantly listening for the wake phrase.
If you are concerned about an app using your microphone or camera without your permission, you can check the Control Center to see which app is currently using the microphone or camera. To do this, swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone's screen. The Control Center will show a list of recently used apps, and if any of them are currently using the microphone or camera, you will see an orange or green dot next to their name.
You can also review and manage which apps have permission to use your microphone and camera in the Settings app. Go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone or Settings > Privacy > Camera. You will see a list of apps that have requested permission to use your microphone or camera, and you can tap on each app to toggle permission on or off.
