FAQ: Why Are There Orange and Green Dots at the Top of My iPhone?

Most of the new features in iOS 14 have been well-received by consumers who appreciate the new widgets, improved Messages app, and more. Not everything is so intuitive, though.

A growing number of people are confused by two new dots — one orange and one green — that occasionally appear at the top of the display in the status bar. 

The dots are a new security feature in iOS 14 that lets you know when an app uses your camera or microphone.

The dot will be orange when an app is actively using your microphone and will be green when an app is using your camera.

These dots appear at the top of your screen in your status bar above the cellular strength indicator. They also appear in the control center to let you know if an app has recently used the microphone or camera.

These indicators serve as a warning that an app is using your microphone or camera. This allows you to find and turn off the app when you don’t want it running in the background. It’s a privacy feature that gives you granular control over how your phone records and listens to you. 

This security feature is available starting in iOS 14. You can update to iOS 14 in the Settings app. Tap General > Software Update and wait for iOS to check for new versions.

If you are running an older version of iOS, you will see a link to download and install iOS 14.

Depending on your wireless connection, it could take some time for the installer to download. You can use your phone while the software update downloads in the background.

When the download is complete, you can click on install and follow the prompts to install iOS 14. Your phone will need to be at least 50% charged or connected to a power source to launch the installer. You also will not be able to use your phone when the update is installing.