ANDROID users are reminded to pay attention to certain symbols on their devices.
Android’s new operating system, OS 12, was released last December with a host of safety and privacy features.
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One of the most prominent features of these features is the ability for you to determine when an app accesses your device’s camera and microphone.
The tool actually works even if it is running in the background.
What is the secret to it?
Android 12 will notify you when an application is using your phone’s microphone or camera by placing an indicator at the upper-right corner.
You can see the indicator in the form a camera or microphone icon. This indicates which access the app is trying for.
After a second or so, the icon quickly changes to a tiny green dot – to really get your attention.
How to use it
Android hopes this new tool will prevent apps from discreetly listening in – or even watching through your camera.
By swiping to the right, users can see which app is accessing what information.
Once you have done that, the dot expands back to the full icon which you can tap to access more information.
Find out more
You can see a rolling log of which apps have access to your camera, microphone, or location – and when.
These details are available in the Privacy Dashboard within Settings.
How to Protect Yourself
You can deactivate the microphone and camera on your entire phone using Quick Settings.
It’s important to remember that an icon does not necessarily signify something is wrong.
Sometimes an app genuinely needs to use your camera – like Instagram.
However, if your camera is being used for some strange purpose, it could indicate that you are being watched.
Cyber experts discovered numerous apps that inappropriately accessed the camera of Android phones.
Android 12 is the best choice.
If you suspect there is something wrong, check Settings to see the permissions for the app.