[2022 Update] What is the Orange Dot on My iPhone?

If you’ve recently updated to iOS 14, iOS 15 or iOS 16 on your iPhone, you may have seen a new indicator on the device. It is in the form of a dot and orange color that appears at the top of the iPhone. If you don’t know what this orange dot is meant to indicate, you may find its presence very unsettling.

Before you try to take any action to get rid of it, continue reading. In this article, we will provide you with information about this orange dot, what it points to and how to remove it if you don’t want to see it on your screen.

Why is There an Orange Dot on My iPhone?

The orange dot will appear at the top of the iPhone’s screen whenever an app on your device uses the microphone. It is just one of the many privacy features that Apple added to their devices with the release of iOS 14.

Therefore, you may have noticed that the orange dot will appear when you are using apps like Voice Memo or any other third-party app that need to use your iPhone’s microphone. You may also see it when using your phone to make calls, voice-to-text, or even when dictating text messages.

Sometimes a green dot may also appear in the same location sometimes. The green dot is meant to indicate that an app on the device is accessing the camera. The dot will therefore turn green when the Camera App is in use, FaceTime, or any other app that records video.

Does the Orange Dot Mean Someone is Listening?

Although you will see the orange dot whenever the iPhone’s microphone is in use, it doesn’t necessarily indicate that someone else is listening in on your device. There are many apps on your iPhone that require the microphone and the dot may just be a way to ensure you are aware that the microphone is in use.

Is the Orange Dot on iPhone Bad?

Under normal circumstances, you don’t need to worry too much when you see this dot (orange or green) it only means that you are using an app that is accessing the microphone or camera on your iPhone.

Can You Disable the Orange Dot on the iPhone?

Because both the orange and green dot is part of Apple’s privacy features, they cannot be disabled. But if you are having a hard time differentiating the colors, you can change how the dot appears in the notification bar.

Here’s how to do that in the iPhone’s settings;

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and then scroll down to tap “Accessibility.”
2. Tap “Display & Text Size.”
3. Find the “Differentiate Without Color” option and toggle the switch next to it to turn it on.

This will make the orange dot appear more like a square that is also orange in color. The green dot doesn’t change in shape or color.

How Do I Get Rid of the Orange Dot on My iPhone?

Even though you may not be able to disable this indicator completely, you can shut down some of the apps that require access to your microphone. If you are not sure which apps are triggering the dot to appear, you can completely turn off all apps on your iPhone and then check the app permissions.

• If you are using iPhone X or any other newer model; swipe down from the bottom and then release to see all apps currently running on the device. Then, drag the app icon until it disappears off the screen.

• For iPhones with a Home button, simply tap on Home button twice to see the apps running in the background. Swipe each app until it disappears off the screen.

Once all the apps running in the background are closed, follow these steps to check the apps that have permission to access the Microphone or Camera;

1. Open the Settings and tap “Privacy.”
2. Locate the “Microphone” or “Camera” section and you should see all apps that have access to the device’s microphone or camera.
3. You can then select the apps that you would like to deny camera or microphone access to.

Extra Tips: How to Fix iOS 16/15 Issues without Data Loss

Although iOS 16/15 has brought many beneficial features and icons including the orange dot, a lot of users have reported numerous iOS system issues that have manifested soon after updating their device.

If you are experiencing any of these issues and looking for the best way to resolve them, Fucosoft iOS System Recovery might be able to help. This is a third-party iOS system repair tool that can fix all iOS system errors and stuck issues without affecting the data on your iPhone/iPad.

Before we show you the detailed steps to resolve these problems, let’s first look at why you should choose this system repair tool over others;

• You can use it to reset an iPhone with a single click, even if you don’t know the password.
• It is also one of the best ways to enter and exit recovery mode on any iPhone model.
• It will easily repair all iOS related issues without causing data loss.
• You can also use it to downgrade your current version of iOS to a previous version without needing to jailbreak the device.
• It works well with all iOS versions and iPhone models, including iOS 16/15 and iPhone 14/13/12.

Follow these steps to resolve any system issues that you may be having after an iOS 16 update;

Step 1: Open Fucosoft iOS System Recovery and click “Start”. Connect the iOS device to the computer using USB cables and unlock it.

Step 2: If the program is unable to detect the device, you may need to put the device in recovery or DFU mode. Just follow the instructions that Fucosoft provides to do that.

Step 3: You will be presented with various versions of firmware compatible with the device. Select one and then click “Download”.

Step 4: Once the download is complete, simply click “Start Standard Repair” and the program will begin to repair the device.

Keep the device connected until the process is complete. It will restart in normal mode and without some of the issues you were experiencing.

The Verdict

The orange dot that may appear from time to time on your iPhone is not something of concern. It is there to help you know when your device’s microphone is in use, which in the worst-case scenario can help you determine when someone else is listening in on your device.

But often it just indicates that an app is using the microphone. There is no way to disable it, but you can take the measures we have discussed here to limit the number of apps using your microphone. Use the comments section below to let us know if you love or hate this new iOS feature.