You Can Hide Your Mac’s Yellow Dot Without Sacrificing Security
The yellow dot (or maybe orange, depending on how you see it) is one of the best privacy and security features on your Mac. This is a simple indicator that lets you know that an app is using your Mac’s microphone. Once it’s launched, you’ll see a yellow dot in the menu bar next to the Control Center icon. While I love this feature, it can be quite distracting at times, but luckily there is a way to balance aesthetics and security with a free app called YellowDot . It changes the yellow privacy indicator to black (or other colors), and also allows you to darken some other system icons in the menu bar.
Why change the color of the Mac yellow dot
When I write, I use the word processor in full screen mode so I can focus on writing. If I’m logged into an online meeting and taking notes, a yellow dot appears in the top right corner of the screen. This is the opposite of the distraction-free writing experience I’m looking for, as my eyes occasionally drift to a point.
I also deal with migraines and one of the symptoms is sensitivity to bright light. That’s why I use dark mode on every device possible and try to use neutral or dull colors whenever I look at a screen for any length of time. That’s how I found YellowDot and it helped me a lot.
What YellowDot does and how to use it
After downloading and installing YellowDot, you will need to grant it access to permissions to record audio on the screen and system. This allows him to customize the appearance of items in the menu bar. With this setup, YellowDot will take care of the rest. The app will automatically change the privacy indicator to a different color, but you can click its icon in the menu bar and go to Dot Color to change it to other colors. You can choose one of the following options:
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Black
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Default (yellow)
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Adaptive
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Dim
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White
By default, the Adaptive option is selected, which dynamically adjusts the color of the privacy indicator based on your activity. I changed it to black because I find it aesthetically pleasing and doesn’t distract me. You’ll notice that YellowDot also dims several other icons in the menu bar that cannot otherwise be dimmed, including the location and screen recording indicators. This can be very useful when you’re presenting something on your Mac and don’t want everyone to be distracted by the bright icons in the menu bar.
While you’re at it, try Unclack, which automatically mutes your Mac’s microphone while you type .