Are apps using your phone's camera or microphone without your knowledge? Here’s how to block their access.

Is an app using your phone's camera or microphone? Learn how to monitor app activity using built-in Android features and discover an easy way to revoke access to your camera and microphone.

Nowadays, smartphones are used for much more than just making calls or sending messages. From taking photos and making video calls to using social media, your phone’s camera and microphone are essential for many tasks. But did you know that you can check which apps are currently using your phone’s camera or microphone? Android phones come with several features that allow you to keep an eye on app activity and revoke permissions whenever necessary. This gives you better control over your privacy. Let’s look at how you can stop apps from secretly using your phone’s camera or microphone.

On phones running Android 12 or later, a green indicator appears in the top-right corner of the screen whenever an app uses the camera or microphone. Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap on this indicator to see which app or service is accessing your camera or microphone. You can then tap again to manage that app's permissions.

If you do not want apps to use your camera or microphone, swipe down from the top of the screen and tap on the respective controls. This allows you to disable access to the camera or microphone—though please note that this feature may function differently depending on your specific device.

Swipe down twice from the top of your phone screen to open the Quick Settings menu. From there, you can disable access by selecting the 'Camera Access' or 'Microphone Access' tile. If you don’t see these options, tap 'Edit' or 'Add' to include the relevant tiles in your Quick Settings. Go to your phone's Settings, open 'Apps', and select the app whose permissions you wish to check. Then, navigate to 'Permissions' to review its access to the camera and microphone. If an app does not require these, you can set the permission to 'Don't allow' or 'Ask every time'.

In the Android 'Privacy Dashboard', you can view information about which apps have accessed your camera or microphone over the past 24 hours. Go to Settings > Privacy > Privacy Dashboard. Tap on 'Camera' or 'Microphone' to see details regarding usage duration and the specific apps involved.

If you find any unfamiliar or unnecessary apps on your phone, go to Settings > Apps, select the app, and tap 'Uninstall'—though be careful to avoid removing essential system apps. Additionally, check for a 'Safety Check' option under 'Privacy & security' in your Settings. You can use this to review app access and security settings related to third-party apps, allowing you to revoke any unwanted permissions.