Khaberni - You may notice a small dot next to the Dynamic Island on the iPhone from time to time, and at first glance, it may appear to be just a transient icon. However, this dot is nothing but the updated version of the privacy feature introduced by Apple years ago, after redesigning it and adding a black background, making it more prominent to the user.
Although the appearance of the dot is not cause for concern, understanding why it appears and how to control it gives the user greater ability to protect their privacy, knowing the applications that use the camera or microphone, according to the site "Thomas Guide".
1- What does the black dot mean?
The dot, whether orange or green, reflects the status of using the phone's sensors.
A green dot on a black background means that an application is using the phone's camera.
The orange dot indicates that the microphone is in use.
These visual notifications are designed to always keep you aware of the applications accessing the phone sensors, and this is an important step for ensuring protection and digital security.
2- Identifying the app activating the indicator
When the dot appears unexpectedly, you can easily check which app is responsible. Simply swipe from the top right of the screen to open the Control Center, where instant sensor activity information will appear, including the app using the camera or microphone.
This step becomes more important if the indicator appears for no apparent reason, as it may indicate that an untrusted application or software is running in the background without explicit permission.
3- Closing the app to hide the dot
Once the app using the camera or microphone is closed, the dot disappears within seconds. If you're not sure which app is responsible, returning to the Control Center will help you pinpoint it precisely, then you can close or stop it from the running apps list.
It's worth noting that the indicator will remain visible throughout video calls or audio recording, as this is a normal behavior within privacy protection mechanisms.
4- Revoking camera and microphone permissions
If there are applications using the camera or microphone without your consent, you can revoke these permissions entirely.
Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Camera/Microphone, and a list of all applications with access permissions will appear, where you can revoke the permission with a single click.
When an app needs to use this function later, it will ask for your permission again, giving you the freedom to control each time.
5 - Privacy indicator as a security tool
The sudden appearance of the black dot should not be ignored; it could be an early warning sign of unauthorized access to the camera or microphone.
It's not just a visual feature, but a security monitoring tool that enhances the user's ability to protect their data and prevent any suspicious activity.
