A green dot on your smartphone warns you about certain apps – what exactly does it mean?

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You probably already have a green (Android) or orange (iOS) Spotted on your smartphone in the top right corner of your screen. But what does it mean?

What kind of point is this? The dot is a signal and tells you that an app is accessing your smartphone’s camera or microphone, for example. The retrieval of location data via GPS is also recorded and signaled via the point. This is intended to protect against spyware and prevent an app from recording you without you knowing.

  • On Android devices, the dot is green and was introduced in 2022 with the release of Android 12
  • On iOS devices, the dot is orange and has been integrated into the system since 2022

    • If you click on the point, you will find out which app is currently accessing a feature on your smartphone and you can then revise the permissions of the respective app and, for example, prohibit them from using the camera again.

    Smartphones not only warn you about spyware, but also have accident detection:

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    The green dot also warns about mobile games like Pokémon GO

    Since the green or orange dot also indicates the retrieval of location data, some mobile game players may become aware of how much data games like Pokémon GO or Monster Hunter Now collect about you.

    Fitness apps from smart watches or fitness trackers also occasionally access your smartphone’s location data if the watches/trackers themselves do not have GPS. These apps then use the location data from your smartphone to, for example, determine the exact route you walked during your training.

    If you want to change the permissions of an app, you can either do this directly by clicking on the green or orange dot and then manage the app permissions or specify the corresponding settings in the options.

    How can you change your settings?

    Change setting on Android:

  • Settings
  • Apps
  • Select individual apps or click and then select “Show all apps”.
  • Permissions
  • Click a permission to change and select Allow or Deny

    • Alternatively, you can also find the settings using the search function

    Change setting on iOS:

  • Settings
  • privacy
  • then a data category (e.g. “Calendar”, “Reminders” or “Exercise & Fitness”)
  • Then click on the respective app

    • In general, it is advisable to keep an eye on the app permissions on your smartphone. You don’t want to suddenly find out that a free QR code scanning app has been accessing your microphone for 4 months.

    More about smartphones: 6 myths and tips about cell phones that you shouldn’t believe

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