Camera being accessed frequently

[Cornflakesla]

Hi, I've been noticing the green camera active dot in the island keeps coming on, but I'm not using anything that would use the camera. It's not consistent but I've noticed it coming on especially if I'm using Instagram (just scrolling), and then swipe up to return to the Home Screen. The green camera dot would come on, and then turn turn off in about 3 seconds. This doesn't happen every time, but frequently enough that I'm able to witness it happen.

I also was just reading an email in Gmail, then went to the home screen, and the green dot came on.

In both situations, there was nothing that would use the camera (not posting a photo in Instagram or anything).

When I swipe down from the upper right corner, I see it is the Camera app that's using the camera when the green dot appears. But the Camera app is not open, nor was it open recently.

Is this normal behavior?

I'm running iOS 26.1, on iPhone 17 Pro Max. Thank you.

 

[macsound1]

I have the camera and microphone disabled for Instagram because I noticed this issue years ago, like when I had an iPhone 8.
It already felt like Instagram was spying on me...

 

[Cornflakesla]

It’s not Instagram… it happens when I exit other apps too. Attaching screenshots of what the control center says is using the camera…

 

[CharlesShaw]

Just an idea. If you haven't already done so, turn off the "Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera" in Settings, Camera. Perhaps other swiping actions are erroneously triggering the camera after they added that toggle in settings?

I suggest this because I recently noticed the same behavior on my iPad running 26.1 but this thread made me realize I haven't seen it since I turned off that toggle. Never connected the two, but it's maybe worth a try.

 

[bollweevil]

I have noticed this with Instagram and TikTok, but not anything else. It turns on the camera just after I swipe up from the bottom to exit the app - kind of, there is no evidence that it actually did open the camera, aside from the light going on for about 3 seconds.

This started before iOS 26, possibly several years ago.

It seems app-based to me. I cannot swipe to the camera from the Lock Screen, I think I turned that off.

 

[HouseLannister]

Is it just the phone checking to see if you are looking at it?

Change Face ID and attention settings on iPhone

On an iPhone with Face ID, adjust Face ID and attention settings if you have physical or vision limitations.

support.apple.com

 

[Cornflakesla]

I have noticed this with Instagram and TikTok, but not anything else. It turns on the camera just after I swipe up from the bottom to exit the app - kind of, there is no evidence that it actually did open the camera, aside from the light going on for about 3 seconds.

Precisely this, and it's not just Instagram for me. I've turned off the swiping the camera from the home screen thing. Restarted the phone and everything.

A few times I was able to trigger it by going to the home screen, then pulling the screen down for the search bar (which I use frequently). I was able to pull it down and the camera would come on for 3 seconds. Go back to the home screen, and pull it down and the camera would come on again. At that moment I was able to do that for at least 8 times in a row until it stopped. Periodically I can still get it to do that, but not that many times.

I'm going to try to do a screen recording next time... Does screen recording record the green dot coming on?

 

[jha]

I noticed this and figured out what it was.

If your finger even touches the camera shortcut on the lockscreen for a second the camera comes on (probably for less perceived delay)