How to See Which Apps Can Use Your Microphone (and Turn It Off) on iPhone, Galaxy and Pixel

Quick summary: A post about TVs that play sounds too high for you to hear so apps on your phone can pick them up went viral on X today. The tech is real. Back in 2016, the FTC warned 12 app developers whose apps included SilverPush code that could use the phone’s microphone to listen for audio beacons in TV ads. The good news: your phone gives you full control over which apps can use the mic. Here’s how to check and lock it down on iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Pixel.

Key takeaways

• An app can only use your microphone if you gave it permission. You can take that back at any time.
• iPhone: Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone.
• Galaxy: Settings > Security and privacy > Privacy > Permission manager > Microphone.
• Pixel and other Android phones: Settings > Security & privacy > Privacy > Permission manager > Microphone.
• Both platforms show a dot at the top of the screen when the mic is in use: orange on iPhone (mic only), green on Android.

Why this matters right now

The viral posts describe ultrasonic cross-device tracking: an ad plays a near-silent tone, and an app with microphone access hears it and links what you watched to your profile. The FTC’s 2016 letters said apps doing this without telling users could be breaking the law, as Inside Privacy summarized at the time. I’m not saying your apps are doing this today. But an app that doesn’t need your mic shouldn’t have it, and checking takes two minutes.

iPhone: check and change microphone access

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Privacy & Security.
3. Tap Microphone.
4. You’ll see every app that has asked for the mic. Turn off the switch for any app that doesn’t need it.

What you should see: A list of apps with switches. Apps that are switched off can’t use the microphone.

Spot it in real time: Apple says an orange dot appears at the top of the screen when an app uses the microphone, and a green dot when it uses the camera (with or without the mic). Open Control Center and you’ll see a message at the top naming the app that recently used them.

Samsung Galaxy: check and change microphone access

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Security and privacy, then Privacy.
3. Tap Permission manager.
4. Tap Microphone.
5. Tap an app and choose Allow only while using the app, Ask every time, or Don’t allow.

Samsung notes the exact options depend on the app, and not every feature is on every device.

Spot it in real time: Samsung says a small green dot shows in the top right when an app uses the camera or mic. Swipe down to open the Notification panel and tap the green dot to see which app it is.

Pixel (and most Android phones): check and change microphone access

Option A: by permission (fastest way to see everything)

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Security & privacy, then Privacy, then Permission manager.
3. Tap Microphone.
4. Tap an app and choose Allow only while using the app, Ask every time, or Don’t allow.

Option B: one app at a time

1. Open Settings > Apps.
2. Tap the app (tap See all apps if it’s not listed).
3. Tap Permissions > Microphone and pick a setting.

What you should see: For each app, the microphone permission now shows the option you picked.

See what actually used your mic: Google’s Privacy dashboard shows which apps accessed the microphone in the last 7 days (Android 13 and up) or 24 hours (Android 12). Go to Settings > Security & privacy > Privacy > Privacy dashboard, then tap Microphone.

Bonus: turn off the mic for every app at once (Android)

Handy for a meeting, or if you just want peace of mind for a bit:

1. Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings.
2. Tap the microphone tile to block the mic for all apps.
3. Don’t see it? At the bottom of Quick Settings, tap Edit (or Add) and drag the tile in.

You can also do it in Settings > Security & privacy > Privacy > Privacy controls, and turn off Microphone access. Turn it back on before you make a call or use voice typing.

Tips

• Pick “Ask every time” for apps you rarely use the mic in. You’ll get a prompt when they actually need it.
• Auto-remove permissions on Android: in Settings > Apps > [app], turn on Pause app activity if unused, and Android removes permissions from apps you stop using.
• Watch for the dot. If the orange or green dot shows up when you aren’t talking, recording or on a call, open the panel and see which app it is.
• Don’t block apps that need it, like Phone, voice recorders, video calling apps and your assistant, or they’ll stop working.

Recap checklist

• Opened the microphone permission list on my phone
• Turned off the mic for apps that don’t need it
• Set rarely used apps to Ask every time (Android)
• Checked the Privacy dashboard for recent mic use (Android)
• Know what the orange or green dot means

My take

This is one of those viral scares where the fix is already sitting in your Settings app. I’d run through this list once on every phone in the house, especially kids’ phones full of free games. If you’re upgrading soon, all three of the phones I use most, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Pixel 10 Pro and the iPhone Duo, have these controls built in.

Sources

• Apple Support: Control access to hardware features on iPhone
• Samsung US Support: Use Security and privacy settings on Galaxy phones and tablets
• Android Help: Change app permissions on your Android phone
• Android Help: Check if your Android camera or microphone is on or off
• Android Help: Manage permissions from the privacy dashboard
• The Verge: FTC warns developers about apps that listen to other devices for advertisers (Mar 18, 2016)
• Inside Privacy: FTC issues warning letters to app developers (2016)