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Keeping your phone’s software updated is one of the best ways to ensure your device is running at its best. Sometimes, updates can introduce features and settings you’ve never seen before, like the ones introduced on iPhones when iOS 18.4 became available earlier this year. In addition to the usual bug fixes and system improvements, the iOS version introduces a new UI element: a black dot placed to the right of the dynamic island.
Believe it or not, the black dot is just a cosmetic enhancement of the two privacy indicators (orange and green dots) introduced in iOS 14. Green means the iPhone app is using your camera, and orange means the app is using your phone’s built-in microphone. For iOS 18.4, developers will simply move the indicator out of the dynamic island and add a black background to both to make them easier to see.
To get rid of the green or orange dots on the black background, all you need to do is close the app that uses your iPhone’s camera or microphone. If you’re not sure what software is causing these indicators to pop up, simply pull down from the top right corner of your screen to open Control Center. You should see active application usage information, including which software is using your camera or microphone.
Read more: I fell in love with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but I’m still returning it and going back to the 14 Pro — here’s why
You can’t disable these dots, but you can control your privacy
A person is using an iPhone with a green dot displayed at the top of the screen. – Measurement Gadget/YouTube
When checking for privacy indicators on your phone, such as the green dot on your Android phone screen, it’s a good idea to pay attention to what apps are running on your phone. Whether you’re using an iPhone or an Android device, if you’re sure your apps aren’t triggering malware, the privacy indicator may be your only clue that there is malware running behind the scenes.
How did it get there in the first place? There are countless ways, one of which is juice hijacking of the connection. That’s why you should avoid using public USB charging ports, or if you desperately need to charge your phone and don’t have your own power bank, then at least start using a protective accessory like JSAUX’s USB Data Blocker.
Unfortunately, if the green or orange dot is disruptive to your iOS experience, you won’t be able to find the indicator’s main kill switch. That is, you can grant and revoke camera and microphone permissions independently. To do this, open Settings, then tap Privacy & Security, then select Camera or Microphone. Once you revoke an app’s camera or microphone usage from the list, the indicator dots will no longer appear when you run the software, and they will remain closed for apps you never granted authorization to.
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