What those orange and green dots mean on your iPhone

Every now and again, I see a tiny dot-shaped light appear at the top of my iPhone screen. Sometimes it’s orange. Sometimes it’s green.

I never really questioned it, until one day I was like, Hmm, what if it’s important? I should probably figure this out.

A quick Google search later, I was on the Apple Support page, and I had my answer.

Apple Support’s explanation of the orange and green iPhone dots
Credit: Apple

Orange dot

The orange dot is telling you that your iPhone microphone is being used by an app. It’ll appear when you use voice memos, maybe briefly after you close out of your camera, or if you’re using any app that exclusively records your voice.

Green dot

The green dot is telling you that your iPhone camera is being used by an app. You’ll see it when opening your camera, or taking pictures on Instagram, Snapchat, or any social media app that allows you to take pictures and post them.

That’s pretty much it. Neither the orange or the green indicate anything particularly concerning. You can exhale now. Check out the Apple Support page for further details, if you want.

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