Noah Romsdal Hallundbæk Sørensen
Have you noticed a small green dot appearing on your Android phone?
A small green light can suddenly appear at the top of your Android screen.
Many users overlook it, but the symbol is tied directly to your privacy.
Here is what the indicator means and how you can manage it.
A quiet warning
Alongside icons for Wi-Fi, battery and notifications, some Android phones display a green dot in the status bar.
The symbol signals that the device’s camera or microphone is currently active.
The dot appears when you intentionally use these features, such as recording a video or making a voice call.
It can also show up if an app running in the foreground is accessing them.
More importantly, it may light up when an app is using the camera or microphone in the background. That aspect has raised awareness about data protection among users.
According to Samsung, the feature was introduced with Android 12 as part of expanded privacy safeguards. Its purpose is to alert users to hidden access to sensitive hardware.
How to check
If the green dot appears unexpectedly, you can quickly find out which app is responsible. Swipe down the status bar and tap the dot to see which application is currently accessing the camera or microphone.
On some devices, including Pixel and Motorola phones, the status area can also indicate when location data is being used.
As a first step, check whether the relevant app is still running in the background. Closing it will usually make the indicator disappear.
If you remain concerned, you can review and adjust the app’s permissions in your settings to prevent further access.
Managing access
The green dot itself cannot be turned off entirely. It is built into Android’s security system and functions as a safeguard.
However, you can revoke camera, microphone or location permissions for individual apps. This removes the reason for the indicator to appear.
To do this, open Settings, go to Apps and select the relevant application. Under permissions, you can disable access to the camera, microphone or location.
Alternatively, navigate to Settings, then Privacy and permission management. From there, choose the feature you want to control and adjust access for specific apps.
Samsung notes that once permissions are withdrawn, affected apps will no longer be able to use those functions. As a result, features such as Instagram’s camera or WhatsApp video calls may stop working until access is restored.
Sources: Utopia
