Alert for MILLIONS of Android phone owners – these alerts mean someone may be watching you

ANDROID now warns users when apps may be spying on them through their device’s camera or microphone.

With the release of the Android operating system (OS) 12 last December came a bunch of handy new features.

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In fact, a new feature now notifies users when an app accesses their device’s camera or microphone.

The tool does this even if the app is only accessing these features in the background.

How does it work?

Android 12 alerts you by placing an indicator in the top-right corner of your screen.

The indicator appears in the form of an icon letting you know what kind of access the app is trying to gain.

After about a second, the icon will then change to a tiny green dot.

How to use this tool

Android’s goal with this new tool is to prevent apps from eavesdropping – or even watching through your camera.

Users can find out what is being accessed and which app is accessing it by swiping down.

Once you’ve done that, the dot will expand back to that full icon, which you can then tap to reveal more information.

How to get more information

You can see an ongoing log of which apps have access to your camera, microphone, or location – and when.

This information is available in the new privacy dashboard in settings.

It’s also now possible to completely disable your microphone and camera in your quick settings across the phone.

How to protect yourself

Remember that showing an icon doesn’t mean anything malicious is going on.

Sometimes an app really needs to use your camera – like Instagram.

But if you notice your camera being used by a third-party app, it could mean you’re being spied on.

Cyber ​​experts have discovered numerous apps inappropriately accessing Android phone’s camera.

So make sure you are using Android 12 and beware of foul play.

If you suspect something is wrong, you should check the app’s permissions in Settings.

For example, you can deny certain apps access to your microphone or camera.

And if you’re really concerned, you can just delete the app altogether.