Why is the Zoom app listening on my microphone when not in a meeting? (community.zoom.com)

Article summary

The Zoom app is being reported to access the microphone even when not in a meeting, as indicated by the orange dot on MacOS devices. This issue has been experienced by multiple users, who have noticed the orange dot and Control Center indicating Zoom's access to the microphone despite not being in an active call. The issue was supposedly fixed in a previous update, but some users are still experiencing the problem. The cause of the issue is unclear, but it has raised concerns about privacy and security.

Main themes

• Zoom app issues
• Microphone access
• Privacy concerns
• Ultrasonic sound detection
• Video conferencing security
• Bug vs intentional behavior

What commenters say

• The issue is likely due to a bug in the Zoom app that fails to properly close the audio session after a meeting.
• The problem may be related to Zoom's feature of detecting the conference room using ultrasonic sounds.
• The use of ultrasonic sounds for room detection is an intrusive and potentially harmful practice.
• Some users believe that the issue is not a bug, but rather a deliberate attempt by Zoom to collect user data.
• The issue is not unique to Zoom and is also experienced with other video conferencing apps like Teams.
• The use of the microphone for room detection can be disabled, but the setting is not clearly indicated in the app.
• The problem can be mitigated by closing the Zoom app when not in use or using a workaround to disable the microphone access.