In this guide, we will show you a couple of methods to fix the issue of WhatsApp using your device’s microphone even when it is not running. With the twelfth iteration of the OS, it was the Material You theme that took away all the limelight. However, there was a much more important feature that didn’t get the appreciation that it deserved- we are talking about the Privacy Indicators.
For the unaware, when your device’s camera or microphone is in use, then you’ll get a green indicator icon of the same at the top right of your screen. This indicator comes in quite useful if an app tries to secretly use system-level permissions without your consent. And thanks to this privacy feature, many users have reportedly caught WhatsApp using the device’s microphone even when the app is not running.
This usually happens when a user is on a WhatsApp call. But even after the call gets over, the microphone indicator is still being shown, signifying that the instant messaging app is still using the microphone, the implication of which could be quite alarming and frightening. With that said, there does exist. a few nifty workarounds that might help you address this issue. So without further ado, let’s check them out.
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Fix WhatsApp using the Device’s Microphone even when not running
It is recommended that you try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and then see which one spells out success. So with that in mind, let’s get started.
Change WhatsApp Microphone Permissions
First and foremost, make sure that WhatsApp is allowed to access the device’s microphone only when it is running. Here’s how it could be done:
- Head over to Settings > Apps > See All Apps > WhatsApp.
- Then go to Permissions > Allow only while using the app.
- Check if it fixes the issue of WhatsApp using the device’s microphone even when not running.
Switch to WhatsApp Beta
The culprit could also be a buggy update released by the developers. In such cases, it might take a while before a patch is released in the stable build. However, the same fix is released pretty quickly in the beta build. Moreover, in certain cases, the issue might not even be present in the beta build. So to round things up, you should consider joining the beta testing group and then check out the results. Here’s how it could be done:
- Head over to the WhatsApp beta testing page and sign up as a beta tester.
- Then wait for a couple of minutes, open Play Store, and search WhatsApp.
- You should get a beta update, download and install it right away.
- Check if it fixes the issue of WhatsApp using the device’s microphone even when not running.
Revoke WhatsApp Permissions
If any of the app’s permission settings get corrupted, then it might have an adverse impact on its other associated permission or even on the overall functioning of the app. So in such cases, your best bet should be to take matters into your own hands and manually give WhatsApp permission to access the microphone when the need really arises. Here’s how it could be done:
- Head over to Settings > Apps > See All Apps > WhatsApp.
- Then go to its Permissions section and select As every time.
- Now every time you or any other app tries to access the WhatsApp microphone, then you’ll have to manually grant it permission to do so.
Disable Pause App Activity for WhatsApp
If an app hasn’t been used for a specific time frame, then the OS will automatically delete its temporary file, stop notifications, and even remove all its permission. To stop that from happening, you should consider turning off this feature, using the instructions given below.
- Head over to Settings > Apps > See All Apps > WhatsApp.
- Then disable the toggle next to Pause App Activity if unused.
That’s it. These were the various methods to fix the issue of WhatsApp using your device’s microphone even when it is not running. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.
