iPhone 14 notch could display privacy dots for camera and microphone access

Apple may use the iPhone 14’s pill-shaped notch to supposedly display privacy dots instead of the iOS status bar when the camera or microphone is in use.

• What is happening? iOS can display privacy dots for camera and microphone access right between the pill-shaped cutouts and the iPhone 14 punch hole.
• Why care? The notch on the iPhone 14 will be noticeably smaller, taking up less screen real estate than before. And if that feature turns out to be true, the pill-shaped notch could be more functional than ever before.
• What to do? Tell us what you think about Apple’s decision for the iPhone 14.

iPhone 14 notch could display iOS privacy dots

9to5Mac learned from a source that Apple’s iOS 16 software will use the space between the two notches to show privacy points for the microphone and camera. Additionally, tapping on any of the indicators will reportedly bring up a list of apps that are using or have recently accessed your iPhone’s microphone or camera.

While it initially looked like it would be dead space, it actually isn’t. The company will use the space to make privacy indicators for the camera and microphone more visible, according to a source familiar with Apple’s plans.

This change will also allow iOS to display both privacy points at the same time when both the camera and microphone are in use at the same time, such as during a FaceTime video call, which is currently not possible.

The goal is to “make the experience more like a MacBook,”writes Chance Miller of 9to5Mac. On Mac laptops, the notch is used to display a green indicator when the camera is in use. As mentioned, iOS dims the area between the two notches, creating a single wide pill-shaped notch when the display is in use.

How the camera/microphone privacy lights work

The privacy indicators for camera and microphone access appear as green and orange dots in the upper right corner of the iOS status bar, just above the cellular signal strength icon.

Apple introduced Privacy Points with iOS 14. The same indicators appear at the top of the Control Center, along with the name of the app that last accessed the camera or microphone. Read: 5 Ways to Control iPhone Camera Remotely

Notch won’t go away anytime soon

With only a few days left until Apple’s major “Far Out”event, such reveals are to be expected. Rumors agree that Apple will make the iPhone 14 Pro punch and pill-shaped cutouts the same shape.

The infamous notch isn’t going away anytime soon, so Apple is going to shrink it as much as possible. Either way, adding real functionality to the notch, beyond hiding parts of the TrueDepth camera, would be an unexpected but welcome move from Apple.