The yellow dot (or maybe orange, depending on how you see it) is one of the best privacy and security features on your Mac. It’s a simple indicator that lets you know that an app is using your Mac’s microphone. When it’s live, you’ll see the yellow dot in the menu bar, right next to the Control Center icon. Even though I love this feature, it can be rather distracting sometimes, but fortunately there’s a way to find a balance between aesthetics and security using a free app called YellowDot. It changes the yellow privacy indicator to black (or other colors) and lets you dim a few other menu bar system icons, too.
Why to change the color of the Mac’s Yellow Dot
When I’m writing, I use my word processor in full-screen mode so I can focus on writing. If I’m logged into an online meeting and taking notes, the 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, since my eyes keep drifting towards the dot from time to time.
I also deal with migraine problems and one of the symptoms is sensitivity to bright lights. It’s why I use dark mode on every device I can and I try to use neutral or dim colors whenever I’m staring at a screen for any length of time. This is how I found YellowDot, and it’s been really helpful.
What YellowDot does and how to use it
Once you download and install YellowDot, you’ll have to give it access to Screen and System Audio Recording permissions. This allows it to tweak the appearance of items in your menu bar. With this set up, YellowDot takes care of the rest. The app will automatically change the privacy indicator to a different color, but you can click its menu bar icon 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
The default choice is Adaptive, which dynamically adjusts the color of the privacy indicator based on your activity. I changed it to Black because I find that to be aesthetically pleasing, and it doesn’t distract me. You’ll notice that YellowDot also dims a few other menu bar icons that can’t otherwise be dimmed, including 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 bright icons in the menu bar.
While you’re at it, check out Unclack, which automatically mutes your Mac’s mic while you’re typing.
