What is The Orange Dot At The Top Of Your iPhone iOS 14 Screen

Apple’s new iPhone software update iOS 14 features a new ‘warning dot’ that lets users see whether one of their apps is listening or watching in.

 iOS 14 shows a small orange dot at the top corner of the iPhone’s display to warn users to know their microphone is turned on.

The little but noticeable dot appears just above the signal bars and next to the battery indicator.

It change to dark green when the camera is active as well, telling iPhone users that apps are ‘watching’.

This is not much to worry about when users are using a video call over apps like Facebook Messenger or Zoom, which need camera and audio to work.

But the dot, which is also a feature of the new iPad software, will be a crucial indicator that other apps are listening in when they shouldn’t be.

iPhone users can head to Settings and Privacy to switch off any of their apps’ access to microphones and cameras.

Privacy is a most important human right and at the core of everything we do, Apple says on its website.

‘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.’

The orange indicator appears at the top of the iPhone screen whenever an app uses the microphone without the camera, as long as iOS 14 is installed.

When the camera and microphone are used together – a green indicator appears.

iPhone users can also go to their phone’s Control Center to see if an app has used the microphone or camera.

A message appears at the top of Control Center, which can be viewed by swiping a finger up from the bottom of the display, to inform users when an app has recently used either.

Users can not approve the apps’ access to their camera and microphone if they’re constantly listening in– or delete the apps for good.

For iPadOS 14 – the tiny dot is also orange when the microphone is in use and green whenever the camera is in use.