Let’s tell you what is the blue dot that will soon start to appear on the screen of your Android mobile. This is a new indicator similar to the green and orange dot which already appears on many devices, a privacy indicator that tells you when an app is accessing specific sensitive data on your mobile.
We are going to start the article by explaining what this blue dot on the mobile screen means, and the fact that it can appear or disappear from it. Then, we will tell you what you should do in the event that this point appears for no apparent reason, an indicator that an app could be doing something behind your back.
What does the blue dot on your phone’s status bar mean?
The blue dot in the status bar that appears at the top right of the screen of an Android mobile means that an app is accessing your location. Every time your phone is sending your location the dot will appear, and then it will disappear when it stops doing so.
This is a method with which your mobile phone tells you the exact moment in which the location permission is being used. The goal is that apps do not use your location without you knowing itand that you can detect bad behavior in applications.
Therefore, with this three types of colored dots will appear on your mobile screen:
- green dot: Indicates that an application is using your mobile camera.
- orange dot: Indicates that an application is using your mobile microphone.
- blue dot: Indicates that an application is using your mobile location.
At the moment, this indicator has already begun to arrive to some Google Pixel phones, such as the Google Pixel 10a. However, it is expected to become a standard indicator that will also soon begin to reach other Android phones from brands such as Samsung, Xiaomi, and others.
What to do if this point appears for no apparent reason
This blue indicator will appear whenever your phone is using location data. If it appears when you do not have an application open It is because someone is accessing them in the background.
If you see that your location is being used but you don’t know what application it may be, it is best to check your location access permissions in the settings of your Android mobile.
To do this, go to Settings and go to the section Privacy and security. Once inside, click on Privacy Settingsand inside access the section Permissions manager. This will take you to a list with all the permissions on your mobile, and you must click on the permission Location.
By doing this, you will go to a list where you will see all apps that have permission to access your locationboth those that do it at all times and those that can only be accessed while you use them. Here, you can review which applications you are giving this access to, and you can revoke it from any that you consider should not have it.
Images | Noelia Hontoria
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