With every new update to a mobile Operating system, there are some new surprises, and with iOS 14 there are a lot of smaller changes and visual updates. Users who have updated have noticed new indicators in the status bar, in the right-hand notch, and are wondering what those are for. These new status symbols show up as orange and green dots or circles that appear above the signal strength indicator as shown in the featured image above.
These are functional dots and as it turns out these dots are actually informational indicators that help reassure and protect your privacy. On MacBooks and iMacs, Apple has a physical green LED that sits next to the webcam. Although they appear next to the cellular signal and Wi-Fi status indicators, they have nothing to do with network connectivity.
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When the camera is accessed in iOS 14, the LED light turns on to let you know that an application on your system is watching the camera feed. iPhones and iPad do not have physical LEDs so Apple has simulated the experience through software.
The Orange Dot
In iOS 14, the orange dot means that an application on your phone is using the microphone. The microphone is being listened to and could be recorded. This may show up when you are using Siri or Dictation, for example, and need the iPhone to transcribe your speech to text. Assuming all apps are acting in good faith, the orange dot should only appear when you are doing something that requires the microphone.
If the orange dot shows in contexts where it doesn’t seem like it should be required, that may indicate an app is misusing your privacy. If you do spot it showing up when it shouldn’t, then you may want to contact the developer to enquire about why it is being used. It could just be a bug with the app, rather than intentional spying activity.
The Green Dot
The green dot appears when an app is using the camera in iOS 14, like when taking a photo. Camera access implies access to the microphone too; in this case, you won’t see the orange dot separately. The green color matches the LEDs used in Apple’s MacBook and iMac products.
If an application is accessing the camera when it doesn’t make sense, it may mean the app is invading your privacy. iOS 14 doesn’t know why an app needs access to the camera hardware at any moment, so your best path of action is to contact the support channels of the app you are suspicious about. They may be doing something nefarious, in which case you can delete the application, or it may just be a bug.
The green light being on does not mean that the camera feed is being recorded and saved; all iOS 14 knows is that the app can access the camera feed at that time. It doesn’t know what the app is doing with the data.
