Why the green dot appears on your Samsung phone
The green dot in the top-right corner of a Samsung phone appears when an app is accessing your camera. It is a privacy indicator, so it should disappear when the app stops using the camera.
If the dot is still there after you leave an app, that app may still be open in the background. The quickest way to remove the green dot is to close your open apps. You can also review camera permissions to stop specific apps from accessing the camera in the future.
Video Tutorial
Close open apps to remove the green dot
If you just used the Camera app or another app that needs your camera, closing it should remove the green dot. You do not need to change any settings for this quick fix.
- Tap the three lines in the bottom navigation menu to view your recently opened apps.
- Select Close all.
- Check the top-right corner of the screen. The green dot should disappear once no open app is using the camera.
This closes the apps currently running on your Samsung phone. If an app was accessing the camera, closing it stops that access and removes the indicator.
Keep in mind that the green dot can come back the next time you open an app with camera access. For example, opening the Camera app will cause the dot to appear because the app is using the camera.
Check which apps can access your camera
If the green dot keeps appearing and you are not sure why, check your camera permissions. Samsung’s Permission Manager shows the apps that have permission to use the camera and when they last accessed it.
- Swipe up on your Samsung phone to open the app drawer.
- Select Settings.
- Scroll down and select Apps.
- Select the three lines in the top-right corner.
- Select Permission manager.
- Select Camera.
You will now see the apps that can use your phone’s camera. The list also shows the last time each app accessed the camera. This makes it easier to identify an app that may be causing the green dot to appear.
Stop an app from using the camera
Remove camera access from any app you do not want using your camera. Once you deny the permission, that app cannot access the camera and cannot trigger the green camera dot.
- In the Camera permission list, select the app you want to change.
- Select Don’t allow.
- Confirm that you do not want to allow camera access for that app.
Repeat these steps for any other apps you do not want to have camera permission. This is useful for apps you no longer use, apps you do not recognize, or apps that do not need a camera to provide their main features.
Some apps may not work fully after you select Don’t allow. For example, an app may be unable to scan a QR code, take a profile photo, or make a video call until you allow camera access again. You can return to the same Permission Manager screen later if you need to change the permission back.
What to do when the dot returns
The green dot is designed to appear whenever an app accesses your camera. Closing all open apps removes it when an app is still active. Changing an app’s camera permission prevents that specific app from using the camera in the future.
If the dot appears after you open an app, first consider whether that app needs the camera. Then use Settings, Apps, Permission manager, and Camera to review its access. This lets you keep camera permissions limited to the apps you actually want to use.
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