A TikToker has alarmed people with speculation over that little orange dot that appears at the top of your screen.
Whether it’s that random line that appears at the bottom of your screen or hidden data settings, there’s plenty of things about our iPhones that remain a mystery to users.
One such mystery is that little orange dot that occasionally appears at the top of your screen. While some have dismissed it as harmless, other users have warned that it’s anything but.
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One TikToker Jamie Nyland (@mrjamienyland) posted a video on the topic, going as far as suggesting iPhone users ‘get help’ if they see it.
Nyland claimed: "If you see this orange dot on your phone, you need to get help seriously fast. If you see an orange dot like this on top of your iPhone, this means someone is listening to you.”
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He continued: "It’s been all over the news, and in fact the orange dot is a warning sign from Apple that someone is using your microphone without your permission.
"If you have no apps open and this is still there, then someone is spying on your phone and listening to your conversations. So if you see this orange dot, turn your phone off immediately and go and get help."
Understandably, people were freaked out after watching Nyland’s video, taking to the comments to express their distress.
One user commented: “I’m getting pretty scared now”.
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Another simply put: “WHAAAATTTT!?!?”
Nyland’s dramatic warning didn’t convince all users though. Some pointed out that the little orange icon just means that an app is using the mic. So you’re likely using a social media or messaging app which uses the microphone.
One savvy commenter wrote on Nyland’s video: "Just means your mic is live, not that someone is listening in."
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Another said: "It doesn’t mean someone’s listening to you, it means there’s an app using your microphone or was using it recently."
Phew. Calm down everyone.
The good news is these claims are backed up by Apple.
According to the tech giant’s website, “with iOS 14 or later, an orange dot, an orange square or a green dot indicates when the microphone or camera is being used by an app.”
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Explaining further: "An orange indicator means the microphone is being used by an app on your iPhone. This indicator appears as an orange square if the Differentiate Without Colour setting is on. To enable Differentiate Without Colour, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size."
It’s not just orange dots that appear, other dots also indicate different things. Apple explain that the green dot 'means either the camera or the camera and the microphone are being used by an app on your iPhone', while a blue arrow 'may appear when the app you’re using requests your location'.