You have probably spotted it. A tiny green or orange dot flicks on at the top right of the screen, just above the signal bars. It is not a fault, and it is almost never a sign that someone is watching you. It is a feature built by Apple and Google. Its job is to tell you, the moment it happens, that an app is using your camera or microphone.
What the dot actually is
The indicator arrived with iOS 14 on iPhones and with Android 12 on Google and Samsung devices. The idea is simple but useful. It warns you in real time whenever an app switches on the camera or the microphone. Before it existed, there was no visible alert. An app could open the mic and you would never know. Now every access leaves a small light at the top of the screen.
Green and orange: how iPhone and Android differ
On iPhone the colours carry a precise meaning. An orange dot means only the microphone is in use, for example during a call or a voice memo. A green dot means the camera, on its own or together with the mic. If an app uses both at once, green always wins. Turn on "Differentiate Without Colour" in the accessibility settings and the dot becomes an orange square instead.
Android keeps things shorter. A single green indicator appears at the top right whenever the camera or microphone is active, whether the app is in the foreground or running in the background. It shows up first as a small chip with the relevant icon, then shrinks to a dot while the access continues.
It is a safeguard, not a spy
It helps to flip the usual worry on its head. The dot is not proof that your phone is spying on you. It is the tool that lets you notice if something is. It is a form of transparency that the operating system forces on every app. When a video call, a voice assistant or the camera starts, the indicator says so. The useful question is not "why is it there", but "did I start this?". That same habit of knowing what your phone is doing pays off elsewhere too, from app permissions to picking the right plan when you compare the main UK mobile networks.
When to pay closer attention
The dot becomes worth a second look when it lights up while you are not using anything linked to the camera or mic. On the Home screen with the phone idle. While you read your email. Or again and again for no clear reason. This does not always mean an intruder. It is simply the right moment to find out which app is behind it. Often it is one left running in the background with permissions that are too broad.
How to find the app behind it
The gesture is the same on both systems. Swipe down from the top to open Control Centre on iPhone or the notification panel on Android. The name of the app that used the camera or microphone will appear. On Android you can also tap the indicator to manage permissions straight away, or open the Privacy Dashboard in Settings. From there you can revoke any access you do not need, app by app, so only the ones you actually use keep their permissions. It is a quick check worth repeating now and then, and a sensible one before setting up a new handset. Our guide to checking network coverage covers the other things worth sorting out first.