The green and orange dots in iOS 14, like many features in previous iOS updates, are a bit confusing at first. You might be forgiven for thinking it's a glitch. But once you figure out why they're there, you'll be happy they're there.

It's part of a new privacy feature in iOS 14 that will help you better understand what your iPhone is doing and which apps are collecting information. This little dot in the upper right corner of the screen will become active when certain activities are running, making you more aware of what is happening on your device.

It's a little confusing, but the green and orange dots are like squares and rectangles.

If you see a small orange (or amber?) dots, the iPhone's microphone is being used. Those who were concerned that their iPhones were being bugged have now found what they should be looking for.

To see which applications are using the microphone or have been using it recently, swipe down from the upper right corner. A yellow icon and the name of the application will appear at the top of the Control Center screen.

If you see an app that should have no reason to use the microphone, consider how much you need it. Contact the developer of the app online or simply delete that app. You can also disable an app's microphone access by going to Settings > Privacy > Microphone.

Most of the time, this happens after you end a call; Siri, Voice Memos, and Dictation are other common utilities that use the microphone.

The green dot that appears where the orange dot appears performs a similar function, letting you know that the iPhone's camera is being used. The green dot also appears when the camera is being used in conjunction with the microphone, so don't assume that just because there is no orange dot that no one can hear you.

You have probably seen the green dot when you are taking pictures or using one of the numerous teleconferencing applications such as FaceTime, Houseparty, Zoom, Google Meet, etc.

Similar to the orange dot, if you want to know which app is using the camera, pull the top right corner down to reveal the control center. I often see the green dot when I am taking a picture or making a group video call on Discord.

If an app listed in the Control Center should not have access to the camera, delete that app or disable access to the camera (Settings > Privacy > Camera).

If you want to learn more about how a particular app handles your data, there is a privacy policy button near the bottom of each app page in the App Store.

Apple also intends to make app developers ask users for permission to collect data and track their activity across devices. However, this change will not be reflected in iOS 14, which will take place before the end of the year and will not become mandatory until next year, as Apple announced earlier this month. Apple explained the postponement as "to give developers time to make the necessary changes."