Orange microphone dot for Accessibility on iPhone (iOS 26) with no option to turn it off

Apple isn’t spying on you. It’s a feature that allows you to control your iPhone by using your voice. Try checking Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control.

rodfromcharlotte wrote:

I have the same issue. No apps have access to the microphone, and the orange dot is still there. Restarted the iPhone many times.

Go to Settings>Accessibility>Voice Control and make sure it's off.

There is a log on iPhone for which apps and services use your iPhone’s data. You can find it in Privacy & Security > App Privacy Report > Data & Sensory Access. Once you notice the orange dot, check to see what apps are using microphone.

What do you see when you pull down Control Center? It should tell you what's using the microphone there. Can you show us a screenshot?

I’m having this same issue. Apple help said I can’t turn it off because it’s using the mic for incoming and outgoing calls. The thing is it just started two days ago. I’ve tried everything it keeps coming back on. It’s uncomfortable because it makes me feel someone is listening all the time.

Also hoping for an answer. I’m having the same issue. I don’t use voiceover, live caption, etc. Restarting doesn’t resolve the problem.

Voice Control is off.

I would recommend to just use the Reset All Setting option in the link below and that does not affect any data on your device. It is often much quicker the checking every Accessibility Setting that may have been changed. You will need to enter your WiFi password the first time you log in and add your Apple Pay cards again as detailed in the Support Article.

• Reset All Settings: All settings—including network settings, the keyboard dictionary, location settings, privacy settings, and Apple Pay cards—are removed or reset to their defaults. No data or media are deleted.

Reset iPhone settings to their defaults - Apple Support

I have the same issue. No apps have access to the microphone, and the orange dot is still there. Restarted the iPhone many times.

YAY!!

I found the cause of my problem. In Settings > Accessibility > Sound & Name Recognition, turn OFF Name Recognition.

Sound & Name Recognition were both off and remain off, but the orange dot remains visible

How about vocal shortcuts? Search for "voice" and look for anything that is on. You may have to go through all accessibility features to look for what is on.