iOS 14 update displays an orange dot at the top of your iPhone screen whenever the microphone or camera is activated to warn you if someone is spying or listening in
- Dot pops up above signal bar as a warning that apps are watching and listening
- iOS 14 users can also seen if an app has used the microphone or camera recently
- Apple is focused on strengthening iPhone user privacy with the new OS update
iOS 14 displays a small orange dot in the corner of an iPhone’s display to let users know that their microphone or camera is activated.
The new version of Apple’s operating system, released this week, acts as a prompt for users that at least one of their apps is currently listening or watching in.
The small but noticeable dot appears at the top right of the iPhone or iPad’s display, just above the signal bars.
This is not much to worry about when users are enjoying a video call over apps like Zoom and Facebook Messenger, which need camera and audio to work.
However, the dots will be crucial indicators that other apps are listening in when they shouldn’t be.
The orange dot, circled in red by MailOnline, appears at the top of your screen whenever an app is using your microphone or camera
The helpful dot is part of Apple’s increasing focus on privacy as part of the new iOS.
‘Privacy is a fundamental 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.
‘An indicator appears at the top of your screen whenever an app is using your microphone or camera.’
iPhone users can also go to their phone’s Control Center to seen if an app has used the microphone or camera recently.
Users can deny apps access to their camera and microphone if they’re constant offenders – or delete the apps altogether.
For iPadOS 14 – the new operating system for Apple tablets – the tiny dot is orange when the microphone is in use and green when the camera is in use.
After months of anticipation, Apple released its new iOS 14 Wednesday, September 16 – although there was no sign of the new iPhone 12 as expected
Another privacy-focused update that comes with iOS 14 is the ability to share only an approximate location with apps, rather than an exact location.
This suits iPhone users who are wary about revealing to certain apps exactly where they live, for example.
To enable this, users need to go to Settings, Privacy and Location Services and then select the app from the list.
Toggling on Precise Location to green will let the app know exactly where the user is, while turning it off will let apps only determine an approximate location.
iOS 14 was released on September 16, following Apple’s ‘Time Flies’ event, which also unveiled the new Apple Watch Series 6, iPad Air and the 8th Generation iPad.
The software is available on iPhone 6s and above, giving users access to a redesigned home screen, widget gallery and App clips, along with a new Siri interface.
The firm is also launching its iPadOS 14 that updates Apple Pencil, allowing it to convert handwriting to typed lettering and recognizes Chinese characters in addition to the standard English alphabet.
Many Apple fans were disappointed that the company did not reveal the upcoming iPhone 12 this week as expected.
Apple CFO Luca Maestri has already confirmed that the iPhone 12 would come out a few weeks later than usual. Things
The company has already confirmed that new iPhones won’t be available until next month, fuelling speculation it will hold another event in a few weeks.