See a Green Dot on Your Android Phone? Here’s What It Means | February 10, 2025

The green dot in the upper right corner of your Android phone might seem confusing, but don’t worry. We’re here to explain what it is and what it means.

Much like its iPhone competitor, Samsung has designed Android phones with several important alert icons. Some are more intuitive than others, but one in particular that users frequently ask about is the green dot in the upper-right corner. While users know it indicates that something is on, they don’t always know which feature it’s linked to.

Samsung says it included this feature to help users feel more in control of their privacy settings. Once you understand what it means, you’ll know whether you need to review your phone’s privacy and permission settings.

What Does the Green Dot Mean?

Unlike iPhones, which have both a green and an orange dot to differentiate features, Android phones use one icon for all. If you see a green dot, it means that one of the apps you currently have open is using the microphone or camera on your device. While this isn’t an issue if you’re actively using the camera, it could be concerning if you don’t remember granting any open apps access to the camera or microphone.

What Should You Do if You See the Green Dot?

 

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