Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025

iOS 14: Here’s Why There’s An Orange Dot On Your iPhone

iOS 14: Here’s Why There’s An Orange Dot On Your iPhone

Is there an orange dot at the top of your iPhone since upgrading to iOS 14? You’re not alone, here’s why it’s appeared.

Since upgrading to iOS 14, have you noticed a orange dot at the top right hand side of your iPhone? You are not alone—this is actually a new feature and don’t worry, it is intentional.

So what is it? Apple’s new iOS 14 operating system update comes with a huge focus on security and privacy. As part of its new iPhone update, Apple has added an indicator light that tells you when an app is using your microphone and camera, and this comes in the form of an orange or green dot.

It sounds scary but seeing the dot at the top of the screen is not a reason to be alarmed in all cases. Some apps need to use your microphone (orange dot) or camera (green dot) in order to function—your phone for example, or a video conferencing app such as Zoom, WhatsApp, or Signal.

However, app developers may try to access your microphone or camera—sometimes for nefarious purposes—and the orange dot will show you if that is happening.


The orange dot appears on the top right hand corner of your iPhone when an app is accessing your microphone or camera.

Controlling who has access to your camera and microphone in iOS 14


In general, to ensure apps are not accessing your microphone or camera when they don’t need to be, you can easily view who has asked to access these. Go to Settings > Privacy > microphone/camera and you can deny access to those who don’t need it to function. You can also see which apps have used your microphone or camera in the Control Center.

So there you have it—the orange dot is a useful tool added by Apple to help you maintain security and privacy on your iPhone. “Much like when a web cam is on, the new orange or green dot is a frequent and visual reminder as to what apps might be watching or listening to you which can help protect us,” says Jake Moore, cybersecurity specialist at ESET.

Apple’s new orange dot indicator light is certainly a welcome update, and one of many security and privacy features added in iOS 14. There are many more, which you can find in my guide on how to use the headline privacy features in Apple’s latest iPhone update. With iOS 14, Apple’s really raised the stakes, and once you know what their purpose is, the new privacy features are actually really easy to use.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×