What Are Those Orange and Green Dots in Your iPhone’s Status Bar?

The orange dot on your iPhone means an app is using the microphone; green means the camera. Here’s what to check if one appears unexpectedly.

In iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, Apple added two new status indicators to the right side of the status bar at the top of the screen. They’re designed to give you feedback about what an app is doing. An orange dot indicates that an app is using the microphone, and a green dot means that an app is using the camera (and possibly the microphone as well). They’re subtle and shouldn’t be distracting, but if you ever notice them when you don’t think the camera or microphone should be in use, look for apps that might be using them in the background.

About Atlas Solutions

Atlas Solutions is an Apple Technical Partner and Jamf MSP in Davidson, NC. We manage and secure Mac, iPhone, and iPad for businesses in Charlotte, Lake Norman, and beyond. More about us

See all

iPhone and iPad tips

Take Quick Videos with the Camera Control

Need to capture a moment fast? On iPhone 16 and later, press the Camera Control once to open the Camera app, then press and hold to start recording video instantly.

1 min read

Have an IT question we haven't covered?

In a free 30-minute call, tell us about your devices and your team, and we'll outline the next step.