Significance of orange bar on iPhone

• Orange bar means something is recording audio. The Voice Memo app is a perfect example where you can see that is the case. Developers have a number of API's provided by Apple for recording audio and any of them will trigger the orange status bar.
• The orange dot means the microphone is active for listening, not necessarily that it is recording audio, although you can see the orange dot in your screen shot showing the microphone is active and the status bar is telling you that it is recording to a URL. There are many ways the microphone can be used without recording the audio, such as a Voice call, Dictation or using the Voice Control accessibility features. Any use of a Speech to Text feature will activate the orange dot, where it is not the audio being recorded to trigger the orange status bar..
• Siri activates the orange dot because the microphone is listening.
• You are correct when the screen is recording, then the status bar is red.

The only thing that did not make sense is that you tapped the orange bar and it took you to a blank screen. In that case open the Control Center and it will tell you the app that is recording audio.

IdrisSeabright wrote:

I believe it means you're recording audio. Pull down the control center. It should tell you at the top.

Yes that is exactly what that means and also identified by the Microphone next to the time.

IdrisSeabright wrote:

Thanks for the confirmation. I wasn't able to find this in Apple's support documents to confirm and have a citation for the OP.

Yea, I checked for a Support Article and there was not one that I found either. I started a Voice Memo and closed the app and the exact same status bar showed on my phone until I went back into the app and stopped the Voice Memo. I was able to tap the status bar and it opened Voice Memos, but apparently that did not work for the OP, so your suggestion to open Control Center also works to show what app is recording the audio.

I believe it means you're recording audio. Pull down the control center. It should tell you at the top.

Mac Jim ID wrote:

Yea, I checked for a Support Article and there was not one that I found either. I started a Voice Memo and closed the app and the exact same status bar showed on my phone until I went back into the app and stopped the Voice Memo. I was able to tap the status bar and it opened Voice Memos, but apparently that did not work for the OP, so your suggestion to open Control Center also works to show what app is recording the audio.

I'm just glad to know I wasn't off base. I really prefer to be able to cite a support article, especially if my initial source of information is an internet search. It didn't occur to me to try it with Voice Memo.

Why are you using a VPN? Using a VPN to access the internet does absolutely nothing no secure your data or protect your privacy?

If you're not using it to access a secure private network such as your employer or school, remove it entirely.

Mac Jim ID wrote:

Yes that is exactly what that means and also identified by the Microphone next to the time.

Thanks for the confirmation. I wasn't able to find this in Apple's support documents to confirm and have a citation for the OP.