When you use apps on your iPhone, you may notice a green light—and there's a purpose for it. Appleincluded the option a while back to warn customers that they might be being watched. The alert was introduced in an iOS version in 2020, flashes anytime your microphone or camera is active.
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What does the green dot mean?
Whenever you open an app that is using your microphone or camera, a dot will appear on the upper right corner of your screen. You may notice it when you're taking pictures or videos through your camera, Instagram, or similar applications. The green dot signals that your microphone and camera are on, while an orange dot indicates that only your microphone is activated.
If you notice a green or orange dot appear suddenly or while you're using an app that normally doesn't require these features, it is a huge warning sign. In this case, you should verify the app's permissions in Settings to see what it has access to.
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Why do we need the green dot?
According to The Sun, Apple introduced the feature in iPhones to help people be aware of scams and it is currently available for users that have iOS 14 or 15. In 2020, Apple explained:
Privacy is a fundamental human right and at the core of everything we do.
That’s why with iOS 14, we’re giving you more control over the data you share and more transparency into how it’s used.
An indicator appears at the top of your screen whenever an app is using your microphone or camera. And in the Control Centre, you can see if an app has used them recently.
