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the orange dot / microphone use -- active or no?

my orange dot, i found out, indicates the microphone is being used. i'm using the amazon app and the orange dot is on constantly -- does this mean my microphone is ON or does it mean that the app has been given access to the microphone? i opened the app but haven't initiated the voice activated text, which i would use to put in a search bar and then search. the orange dot is there even though i'm not actively using my microphone. curious as to what the orange dot means exactly.

iPhone 14 Pro

Posted on May 19, 2023 12:20 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 19, 2023 12:51 PM

dinyel wrote:

thank you so very much for your quick response! when you say the amazon app is voice-responsive, how do you mean? i thought it would only respond when i tapped the microphone to use it, which i assumed would then turn the orange dot on. am i missing something?


When the orange ball is shown, the app has accessed and can acquire the audio from the microphone.


What the app does with that audio, and what the app-specific controls might or might not do with that audio data, iOS does not and cannot indicate.

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 19, 2023 12:51 PM in response to dinyel

dinyel wrote:

thank you so very much for your quick response! when you say the amazon app is voice-responsive, how do you mean? i thought it would only respond when i tapped the microphone to use it, which i assumed would then turn the orange dot on. am i missing something?


When the orange ball is shown, the app has accessed and can acquire the audio from the microphone.


What the app does with that audio, and what the app-specific controls might or might not do with that audio data, iOS does not and cannot indicate.

May 19, 2023 12:55 PM in response to sberman

thank you so very much for your quick response! this community is dedicated to helping its fellow apple lovers!!! ♥️♥️♥️ thank you for this tip. i assumed it was amazon because i noticed it before and as soon as i moved away from the app to my browser to search for the meaning of the dot, the dot immediately disappeared. but now i know for future use that i should open the control center a lot more often!!!

May 19, 2023 1:07 PM in response to MrHoffman

thank you so very much for your quick response! this is what i needed. i did read that when i gave my permission, but i still didn't realize that it was happening even when i didn't press the microphone button. jeez. i already know alexa listens to everything, but somehow i feel this was sneaky. anyway, thanks again!

the orange dot / microphone use -- active or no?

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