What does the green or orange dot that sometimes appears at the top of your Android and iPhone screen mean?

You have probably noticed a green (Android) or orange (iOS) dot in the upper right corner of your smartphone screen. But what does it mean?

What is this dot? The dot is a signal indicating that an app is accessing features of your smartphone, such as the camera or microphone. It also indicates the retrieval of location data through GPS. This is meant to protect against spyware and prevent an app from recording you without your knowledge.

• On Android devices, the dot is green and was introduced in 2022 with the release of Android 12
• On iOS devices, the dot is orange and has been integrated into the system since 2022

If you click on the dot, you can find out which app is currently accessing a feature of your smartphone and you can then review the permissions of that app and potentially deny it access to the camera again.

Smartphones not only warn you about spyware but also have an accident detection feature:

The green dot also warns about mobile games like Pokémon GO

Since the green or orange dot indicates the retrieval of location data, players of mobile games may become aware of how much data games like Pokémon GO or Monster Hunter Now collect about them.

Fitness apps from smartwatches or fitness trackers occasionally access your smartphone’s location data when the watches/trackers themselves do not have GPS. These apps use the location data from your smartphone to determine the exact route you took during your workout.

If you want to change an app’s permissions, you can either do it directly by clicking on the green or orange dot and then manage the app’s permissions, or you can set the corresponding options in the settings.

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How can you change your settings?

Change setting on Android:

• Settings
• Apps
• Select individual apps or click “Show all apps” and then select
• Permissions
• Click on a permission to change it and select Allow or Deny

Alternatively, you can also find the settings using the search function

Change setting on iOS:

• Settings
• Privacy & Security
• Then select a data category (e.g., “Calendar”, “Reminders”, or “Motion & Fitness”)
• Then click on the respective app

In general, it’s advisable to keep track of the app permissions on your smartphone. You don’t want to suddenly find out that a free QR code scanning app has been accessing your microphone for 4 months.

More about smartphones: 6 myths and tips about phones that you shouldn’t believe