Unveiling the Significance of the Spot at the Top of Your iPhone: Orange or Green Dot Decoded
Apple's Recording Indicators: A Step Towards Enhanced Privacy on iOS 15
Apple has introduced a new feature with the iOS 15 software update, aiming to provide users with more control over their privacy. The feature, known as "recording indicators", shows when an app has access to the camera or microphone.
When you first use an app on iOS 15, Apple will prompt you to turn on camera access or microphone access. However, these settings are usually not on by default. If you wish to keep or revoke permissions for apps, you can do so based on the recording indicators.
The recording indicators are displayed in the top right-hand notch near the WiFi and cellular connection symbols. If the green dot is visible while using an app, it means the app is using the camera. Similarly, if the orange dot is visible, it indicates that the app is using the microphone.
These indicators are not indicative of malware or spying, but rather are meant to provide users with more control over app permissions. They are particularly useful when passively using apps like TikTok, where there may be no need for the app to have access to the microphone or camera if they are not being used.
Apple's ongoing efforts to improve app transparency and user privacy are evident in these recording indicators. They were first introduced in the iOS 14 software update and are still present in the iOS 15 software update.
The app shown with the yellow arrow pointing to the green recording indicator light on the iPhone using the camera is not explicitly named in the provided search results. Nevertheless, the feature is a support page feature, as described by Apple.
To turn off an app's access to your camera on iOS 15, go to Settings, scroll down to the bottom of the page where all of your apps are listed, tap on the app you'd like to alter permissions for, and turn the slider to the off position next to Camera. To turn off an app's access to your microphone, follow the same steps but turn the slider off next to Microphone.
Courtney Linder, a technology reporter at Pop Mech, has been covering this topic extensively. Living in Philadelphia with her husband, a black cat, and towers upon towers of books, Courtney's favorite topics include the giant squid, punk rock, and robotics. She joined Pop Mech after working at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied English and economics. You can find her full bio on the Pop Mech website.
