THERE’S a new trick that tells you if your smartphone is listening to you.
Most smartphone users have examples of when they have seen mobile advertisements for things they have only physically spoken of – and not yet searched for online.
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While there is no concrete evidence that your phone is secretly spying on you, plenty of people believe in the urban legend.
For iPhone’s owners, when the microphone is on or was recently accessed, a small orange dot appears in the upper-right hand corner of the screen.
If your camera is in use or was recently recording, you’ll see a green dot.
If you have an iPhone with a home button, double-press the home button to see the stack of open apps.
Should your iPhone not have a home button, simply swipe up when you’re on the Home Screen and close all the open apps.
Once the apps are closed, head to Settings > Privacy > Microphone or Camera.
Look through the apps listed and switch off the toggle for any apps you don’t think need access to your phone’s camera or mic.
Some apps, such as video chat apps, will need full access.
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But games, maps and utilities like torches don’t require access.
What if I have an Android phone?
Unlike Apple iPhones, Android won’t automatically notify you if the camera or mic is recording.
But you can find out for yourself.
An app for Android phones called Access Dots will imitate the iOS 14’s camera and microphone icons in the top right hand corner of your phone screen.
If you see the light on and want to stop your mic or camera from being used, swipe up to the middle of your screen from the bottom, then swipe your finger from left to right.
On the left, tap Clear all, which will close all your apps at once.
To check which apps you are granting mic and camera access to on Android, open Settings > Personal > Privacy and Safety > App Permissions.
Then tap Microphone or Camera and find the app you want to turn the mic or camera off for.
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