The green dot in the upper right corner of your Android might seem confusing, but don’t worry. We’ll explain what it is and what it means.
Much like its iPhone competitor, Samsung has designed its Android phones with several important alert icons. Some of these are more intuitive than others, but one in particular that users ask about frequently is the green dot in the upper right-hand corner. Users know it indicates something is on, but they don’t always know what feature it’s linked to.
Samsung says it’s included this feature to help customers feel more in control over their privacy settings. Once you know what it means, you’ll know whether or not you need to review your phone’s privacy and permissions settings.
What Does the Green Dot Mean?
Unlike iPhones, which have a green dot and an orange dot to differentiate features, Android phones use one icon to signal them all. If your phone has a green dot in the corner, then one of the apps that you currently have open is using the microphone or camera on your device. While this is not a problem if you currently have the camera open, it might alarm you if you don’t remember giving your open apps access to the camera or microphone.
What Should You Do if You See the Green Dot?
According to Samsung, you can figure out which app is using your camera or microphone in four quick steps. When the notification first appears, it will have an icon showing whether the alert is about the camera, the microphone, or both. It will then shrink to just be the dot in the upper right corner. You’ll find it alongside any other active indicators.
Swipe down on the notification bar to open it and tap on the dot to expand it. This will open a dialogue box that tells you what’s being used (camera, microphone, or both) and what app is using them. You’re good to go if you’re fine with the app having and utilizing access. You don’t have to take any further steps.
However, there may be an issue if you don’t remember granting the indicated app access to your camera and microphone. You should open the settings and toggle those permissions off. If the notification indicates that the culprit is an app you don’t use anymore, you may even want to delete it from your device for extra peace of mind.