Update Zoom for macOS to fix the mic indicator bug

Reports circulated on Friday about a bug in Zoom on MacOS Monterey, relating to its microphone access. A number of users saw the orange indicator in macOS was still visible after a call had ended.

The dot is an indicator to users that the camera or microphone may still be live and recording, with an orange dot showing if the microphone is in use. It is intended as a security and privacy feature, to prevent users from being secretly recorded.

It turns out that the bug is one that has existed for a while, and was in fact fixed by Zoom as part of the macOS client update version 5.9.3 in late January.

"The Zoom client for macOS 5.9.3, released on January 25, 2022, fixed a bug involving the failure to properly terminate the microphone use post-meeting," a Zoom spokesperson told AppleInsider. "Zoom has determined that this bug did not result in audio data being transmitted back to Zoom's platform. As always, we recommend users make sure their Zoom client is updated to the latest version."

The orange dot has been a problem for Mac users before, with live performers complaining in December that the dot is visible in the corner of the screen. This becomes an issue for live shows, which could rely on a Mac displaying video to large external monitors and projectors, as the dot would be seen by audiences.

This is also not Zoom's only privacy-related issue that macOS users have had to deal with. In March 2020, it was found Zoom was working around Apple's security features, which along with other problems, prompted the company to pause new feature development for 90 days to fix the issues.