Have you noticed an orange dot in the top right corner of your iPhone recently?

If you recently upgraded to iOS14, those dots on your phone are part of Apple's huge focus on security and privacy in their latest operating system update. So the good news is that the government isn't spying on you and your phone hasn't been hacked.

It's actually quite the opposite.

Apple's new iOS14 update comes with indicator lights that tell you when your iPhone is using your camera (green dot) or your microphone (orange dot). This is actually a good thing because some of your apps require the use of these two functions, but now you'll know when the microphone or camera is being accessed—especially if it's any type of nefarious activity from sketchy app developers (yes, they do exist).

Dots on iPhone
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It may also help to bring clarity to an age-old myth that your iPhone is "listening" to your conversations to serve you ads based on what you discuss in private or amongst friends and loved ones (and if they do, you'll see the dot!). According to a report from Forbes,

Much like when a webcam is on, the new orange or green dot is a frequent and visual reminder as to what apps might be watching or listening to you which can help protect us

You can control what apps have access or have requested access to your microphone or camera by going to Settings > Privacy > microphone/camera. You can also go to Control Center to see which apps have used the microphone and camera features as well.

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