Check if your smartphone's microphone is tracking you

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WhatsApp was accused of using a smartphone's microphone to track a user. It caused billionaire Elon Musk to say the app could not be trusted.

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A viral tweet by a Twitter engineer claimed that WhatsApp listens through a smartphone's microphone even when the app is not in use. WhatsApp denied these allegations, saying the phone was to blame.

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So, what can you do to stop anyone from gaining control of your phone and use its microphone without your knowledge? Here are tips to check if a specific app has access to the microphone and if it is currently using them in the background.

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For iPhone users:

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1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.

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2. Scroll down and tap on Privacy.

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3. Select Microphone to view the apps with access to this features.

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4. To revoke access, simply toggle the switch to the left for any app you wish to disable.

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For Android users: 1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.

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2. Scroll down to Apps & Notifications.

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3. Locate and tap on the app you want to check.

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4. Tap Permissions to view the granted permissions.

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5. Look for Microphone in the permissions list to identify which apps have access.

To check if an app is currently using your microphone on Android: 1. Swipe down from the top of your screen to access the notification panel.

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2. Check for microphone icons in the status bar.

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3. Tap the respective icon to determine which app is using your microphone.