How do I get rid of the microphone symbol on my Android?

The microphone icon is a common sight on Android devices these days. It appears in the status bar at the top of the screen as a persistent notification when an app is accessing your device’s microphone.

This icon lets you know that an app is actively listening via your microphone at that moment. It could be an app using voice commands, recording audio, making a phone call, or any other microphone access.

While occasional microphone use by apps is normal, sometimes the icon sticks around even when it shouldn’t. This persistent notification can be annoying and concerning if you don’t know which app is causing it.

In this guide, we’ll go over the common tips and tricks to get rid of a stuck microphone icon on your Android device.

Check App Permissions

The first step to troubleshoot the microphone symbol on Android is to open your device’s Settings app and view which apps have permission to access your microphone. Here’s how:

On your Android device, open the Settings app then tap “Apps.” Next, tap “App Permissions” or “App Permissions Manager,” depending on your Android version. This will show you a list of permissions like camera, contacts, microphone, etc. Tap on “Microphone” to see which apps have permission to access your device’s microphone.

Review the list of apps and note any that you don’t remember granting microphone access. These apps may be causing the unwanted microphone symbol to appear. According to Google Support, you can tap on each app to change its permissions.

Checking your app permissions is an important first step to diagnose what may be triggering the microphone icon you want to remove.

Disable Specific App Permissions

To disable microphone access for specific apps on Android:

1. Go to Settings > Apps & notifications.
2. Tap See all ### apps and find the app you want to modify permissions for.
3. Tap the app and select Permissions.
4. Find Microphone on the list of permissions and tap it.
5. Select Don’t allow to disable microphone access for that app.

This will restrict the selected app from accessing your device’s microphone. You can repeat this process for any apps that don’t need microphone access. It’s more secure than completely disabling the microphone permission at the system level.

According to Google support, revoking microphone access for specific apps is the recommended approach if you notice an app enabling your microphone unexpectedly or unnecessarily.

Mute Notifications for Offending Apps

The microphone icon appears on Android when an app is accessing the microphone. One way to potentially stop the icon from appearing is to mute notifications from apps that trigger it.

To mute notifications from a specific app on Android:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Notifications.
3. Tap App Settings.
4. Select the app that is causing the microphone icon to appear.
5. Toggle off “Allow notifications” and/or “Override Do Not Disturb” to mute notifications.

Muting notifications prevents apps from interrupting you with sounds or vibrations. However, it will not completely stop apps from accessing the microphone in the background. So the icon may still appear at times.

If muting app notifications does not resolve the microphone icon issue, you may need to review the app’s permissions, clear cache/data for the app, or consider uninstalling it.

Clear App Cache and Data

Sometimes issues with the microphone icon can stem from out-of-date or corrupt app data and caches (AndroidPolice, 2023). Clearing this data forces an app to refresh, which may resolve any glitches that could be activating the microphone icon erroneously. To clear cache and app data on Android:

• Go to your device’s Settings menu.
• Tap Apps.
• Select the app with the microphone icon issue.
• Tap Storage.
• Tap Clear Cache and/or Clear Data to clear app caches and refresh all app data.

Clearing caches and data will reset the app to its default state, allowing it to rebuild key files and data that may have been corrupted. This often makes the app run more smoothly and resolves odd technical issues, like unwanted permission prompts and notification icons (Lifewire, 2023).

Keep in mind clearing caches/data will log you out of the app, and erase certain settings and preferences. But app data that is synced or saved to your cloud account, like Gmail emails or Whatsapp messages, are stored externally so won’t be affected.

Restart Your Device

A simple restart can sometimes fix temporary glitches caused by apps and processes getting stuck. According to Google support, restarting your Android device helps “clear any processes that have locked up or frozen” (source). When an app or system process encounters an error it can’t recover from, a restart will terminate the process and allow a clean restart.

To restart your Android device, hold down the power button for a few seconds until the power off prompt appears. Tap ‘Restart’ and wait for your phone to restart. This resets all running apps and services and reloads the operating system. If the microphone icon persists after restarting, it likely indicates a deeper issue with an app or your Android version.

Restarting your device periodically can also help keep things running smoothly. MakeUseOf recommends restarting your Android phone once a week to clear memory, refresh system processes, and potentially fix minor issues (source). While not a cure-all, a periodic restart can nip some problems in the bud.

Check for App Updates

One potential cause for the microphone symbol randomly appearing on your Android device is a buggy or outdated app. Over time, apps can develop bugs that cause issues like unwanted notifications, drained battery life, or mysterious icons appearing. App developers regularly release updates that aim to fix bugs and performance issues.

It’s recommended to keep all your apps updated to the latest version available (source). Updating apps can get rid of bugs that may be causing erratic behavior like unexpected microphone activations. According to Deorwine.com, “New features and functionality boost user engagement” through app updates (source).

To check for app updates on Android, open the Google Play Store app and tap the profile icon in the upper right corner. Then go to Manage Apps > Updates available to view apps with pending updates. Tap “Update all” to update compatible apps to their latest versions which may fix underlying bugs.

Uninstall Buggy Apps

If you have installed any new apps recently that may be causing issues, try uninstalling them. Sometimes apps can get corrupted or have bugs that cause problems like persistent notification icons.

To uninstall an app:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android.
2. Tap Apps or Application Manager.
3. Tap the app you want to uninstall.
4. Tap Uninstall and confirm when prompted.

Removing the problematic app from your device may resolve the issue with the microphone icon displaying incorrectly or constantly. If uninstalling the app doesn’t work, you may need to restart your device or check for a system update.

As a last resort, you can try a factory reset to remove any corrupted apps or system files. But make sure to backup your data first.

Factory Reset Device

A factory reset allows you to wipe your device and start fresh as a last resort. This will completely erase all data and reset the device to its default factory condition. This should be considered a final option if nothing else has solved the microphone symbol issue

According to Google Support, “To remove all data from your phone, you can reset your phone to factory settings. Factory resets are also called “formatting” or “hard resets.” This process will delete all your data, like photos, contacts, apps, and messages.”

So if all other options have failed to get rid of the pesky microphone symbol, then you may need to reset to factory settings. But be warned that this will erase everything on your device and revert back to the fresh-out-of-the-box state.

Conclusion

If the microphone icon still persists on your Android device after trying the troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide, then the issue is likely due to a buggy app rather than a system-wide problem.

To recap, start by checking app permissions to confirm which apps have microphone access. Disable this access for any suspicious or unused apps. Also try clearing app caches, reinstalling or uninstalling problematic apps, or performing a full factory reset if all else fails.

A factory reset will remove all data and reset system settings to default. It should resolve most software issues, but backup important data first in case you lose anything in the process. With that said, going nuclear with a factory reset is often the most reliable solution to eliminate stubborn microphone issues.