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There are two different privacy concerns: an app may learn that a call is in progress through call-state access, or it may use your microphone. Revoking microphone access blocks mic-dependent features, but it does not by itself block call-state access. Check both separately; the controls available depend on your phone, operating-system version and app.
First, identify what you want to block
- Call-state awareness: whether an app can access information about an ongoing call. On Android, the
READ_PHONE_STATEpermission is documented to include the status of ongoing calls. Review phone-related app permissions where your device offers them. - Microphone access: whether an app can use your microphone. Revoking microphone permission can stop features that need audio, but it is a separate control from call-state access.
- Advertising tracking: whether an app tracks you across other companies’ apps or websites. This is not a universal control for call-state or microphone access.
These distinctions matter because a microphone indicator or permission setting does not necessarily show or prevent every kind of call-state signal.
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On Android, review phone and microphone permissions separately
Check phone-related access
Open your phone’s app-permission settings and look for phone-related access for the app in question. Android’s READ_PHONE_STATE permission reference describes read-only access to phone state, including the status of ongoing calls, and classifies the permission as dangerous. Revoke it for an app that does not need it, if your device provides that option. Android’s telephony APIs and permission requirements vary with implementation, API use and device, so a permission screen is not a promise that every app’s behavior is explained by one setting.
Check microphone use
Android displays a green indicator when an app uses the camera or microphone. Tap the indicator to identify the app or service and follow the available route to manage permissions. On supported devices, Quick Settings may also include system-wide camera and microphone controls. Google notes that some steps require Android 12 or later, and the swipe gesture and menu availability can vary by device. See Google’s guide to camera and microphone access indicators and controls.
#1 Best Overall
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Switching off microphone access can disable audio features, including call audio in apps that need the microphone. It does not block an app from learning call state through a separate API. Android’s sensor indicators concern protected camera and microphone access; they are not a complete record of call-state access. The Android Open Source Project also documents that telephony uses a separate microphone stack during phone calls: Android privacy indicators.
On iPhone, use privacy settings and App Privacy Report
Manage microphone access
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security to review apps’ access to protected capabilities such as the microphone and camera. Turn off microphone access for apps that do not need it. This controls microphone use; it should not be treated as a control that blocks all call-state information.
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Review app activity
Turn on and review App Privacy Report in Privacy & Security to see how often apps access data such as the microphone and location, as well as app network activity and frequently contacted domains. It can help you investigate unexpected activity, but it is observational and does not establish that every kind of call-state signal will appear. Apple’s guides cover controlling app access to information and App Privacy Report.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesApple’s Core Telephony documentation describes information about current cellular calls, including call state, but the documentation reviewed does not establish a general user-facing iPhone switch that blocks every third-party app from learning every kind of call state: Apple’s CTCall documentation.
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What each control does—and does not do
| Control | What it governs | Scope | Trade-off or limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android phone-related permission review | Phone-state access, including ongoing-call status where the app uses the documented permission | Per app, where exposed by the device | Revoking access may affect app features that depend on it; it does not control microphone use. |
| Android microphone permission or Quick Settings microphone control | Microphone use | Permission is per app; supported Quick Settings control is system-wide | Microphone-dependent features, including call audio in some apps, may stop working. This does not itself revoke phone-state access. |
| iPhone microphone permission | Microphone use | Per app | Microphone-dependent features may stop working; this does not establish a block on call-state information. |
| iPhone App Privacy Report | Observed sensor access, app network activity and frequently contacted domains | Review across apps | It helps investigate activity; it is not a universal call-state blocking control. |
| Apple App Tracking Transparency preference | Covered tracking across companies’ apps or websites, such as for advertising or data-broker sharing | Tracking preference, not a microphone or call-state permission | May limit covered cross-company tracking, but is not a universal call-detection blocker. |
Why muting is not a privacy guarantee
Muting in a conferencing app is not a universal substitute for reviewing permissions. A 2022 study by Yang, West, Thiruvathukal, Klingensmith and Fawaz examined selected desktop video-conferencing apps and found differing mute behavior. In that study’s experimental setting, the researchers intercepted outgoing telemetry from one app and identified six common background activities with 81.9% macro accuracy. That result is specific to the apps and method studied; it is not a prevalence rate for mobile apps or a measure of current conferencing software generally. Read the paper, “Are You Really Muted?: A Privacy Analysis of Mute Buttons in Video Conferencing Apps”.
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Best Value
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If the settings do not answer your question
- Check the specific app’s permission list and privacy disclosures for the kind of access or data use you are concerned about.
- On Android, treat phone-state permissions and microphone access as separate checks; use the microphone indicator to investigate sensor use, not as proof about call-state access.
- On iPhone, use App Privacy Report to review observed activity, while recognizing that it does not establish whether every form of call-state information is available to an app.
- Expect some features to stop working when you revoke permissions or disable microphone access. Restore a permission only if you decide the app needs it.
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