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 when an app is using your Mac’s microphone. When it’s live, you’ll see the yellow dot in your menu bar, right next to the Control Center icon. While I love this feature, it can be a bit distracting at times, but luckily there’s a way to strike a balance between aesthetics and security using a free app called YellowDot. It changes the yellow privacy indicator to black (or other colors), and also lets you dim a few other icons in your menu bar system.

When I write, I use my word processor in full screen mode so that I can focus on writing. If I’m logged into an online meeting and taking notes, the yellow dot appears in the upper right corner of the screen. This is the opposite of the distraction-free writing experience I’m looking for, as my eyes keep wandering to the dot every now and then.

I also suffer from migraine problems and one of the symptoms is sensitivity to bright light. So I use dark mode on every device I can and try to use neutral or dark colors when I stare at a screen for a long time. That’s how I found YellowDot and it’s really helpful.

Once you download and install YellowDot, you will need to grant it access to Screen and System Audio Recording permissions. This will allow it to customize the display of items in your menu bar. With this setting, YellowDot will take care of the rest. The app will automatically change the privacy indicator to a different color, but you can click on the menu bar icon and go to Dot Color to change it to other colors. You can choose one of the following options: