TechTipADay

How to see which apps use your camera and microphone on iPhone

Turn on App Privacy Report in Settings > Privacy & Security. A day later it shows which apps used the camera, microphone and location, and which domains they contacted.

How to do it

  1. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > App Privacy Report.

  2. Turn it on.

  3. Use the phone normally, then come back the next day.

  4. Open Data and Sensor Access for the microphone, camera, and location. Open App Network Activity for the domains.

A long domain list is not automatically a problem. A flashlight app contacting a pile of advertising domains is. Uninstall is the fix the report itself will not do.

Questions people ask

Is a long list of domains a bad sign?

Not by itself. A flashlight app talking to lots of ad domains is the kind of thing to look for.

How can I tell an app is using the mic right now?

An orange dot at the top of the screen means the microphone is on. A green dot means the camera.

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