New iOS 15 Privacy Icons in the Status Bar

Apple expanded its user privacy protections in iOS 15 by enhancing the visual indicators displayed in the iPhone status bar. Alongside the established camera and microphone dots, iOS 15 introduces screen sharing indicators and refined location alerts to inform users whenever sensitive hardware or data is being accessed. This guide details each privacy icon that appears in the iOS 15 status bar and what it means for your device's security.

The Screen Sharing Indicator

The primary privacy icon introduced with iOS 15 is the Screen Sharing indicator. When you broadcast your display using SharePlay, FaceTime, or third-party screen-sharing tools, a distinct icon depicting a screen with a person appears in the status bar. This icon is highlighted in purple or enclosed within a purple bubble, immediately alerting you that your display is actively being transmitted to external viewers.

The Green Dot: Camera Access

A solid green dot appears in the top-right corner of your screen (or beside the notch) whenever an app actively accesses your iPhone's camera. If an application uses both the camera and the microphone simultaneously—such as during a video call—only the green dot is displayed.

The Orange Dot: Microphone Access

An orange dot indicates that an active application is using your device’s microphone to record audio. For users with color differentiation settings enabled under Accessibility, this dot can be configured to appear as an orange square rather than a circle.

The Location Arrow

Location Services are represented by an arrow icon in the status bar, which changes appearance based on how your data is being used:

  • Hollow Arrow: Indicates that an app can receive your location under specific conditions, such as geofencing.
  • Solid Arrow: Indicates that an app or system service is actively tracking your current location.
  • Blue Arrow Circle: Appears when an app requests access to your precise location.

Control Center Privacy Labels

While the status bar displays the active icon, swiping down into the Control Center in iOS 15 reveals the exact identity of the application responsible for the indicator. At the top of the Control Center, a text label lists the app name alongside the corresponding icon (camera, microphone, or location), allowing you to verify whether an app has legitimate reason to access your hardware.