Is the purple light on my iPhone a camera spying on me?

No. The purple light that shows up when another camera points at your iPhone is the Face ID system. It sends out infrared light to read your face, and some cameras can see that light. When an app really uses your camera, Apple shows a green dot in the status bar. A microphone in use shows an orange dot.

Is the Face ID light safe for my eyes?

Apple says the TrueDepth camera is safe under normal use and its low output will not harm your eyes or skin. Apple also says a damaged phone may turn the system off, and a repair with parts that are not genuine could make it unsafe. Get Face ID repairs done by Apple or an authorized shop.

Why do I see a purple light on my iPhone in the dark?

Face ID is built to work in total darkness. Apple says that in a very dark room you may notice a faint light from the TrueDepth camera when it reads your face, and that this is expected.

Why is my iPhone screen flashing purple at the edges?

On an iPhone with Apple Intelligence, Siri shows a glowing light that wraps around the edge of the screen while it listens. A press on the side button or a voice command can start it. If the edges flash purple when Siri is not running, force restart the phone. If it keeps happening, it is a display fault for Apple to check.

Why are my iPhone photos showing a purple spot?

That is lens flare. A bright light at an angle, often just outside the frame, bounces off the parts inside the camera and lands on the sensor. Apple suggests moving the camera a little or shading the lens with your hand. Also remove any case or film near the lens and clean it with a microfiber cloth.

That Purple Light on Your iPhone Is Usually Face ID

Your friend is filming you on their phone. You pick up your iPhone to check a text. On their screen, a purple light flashes at the top of your phone. On your own phone, you see nothing.

That light is almost always Face ID doing its job. It is normal and it is safe. A purple light can mean four other things too, and where you see it tells you which one you have.

Where You See the Purple Light

Start with where the purple shows up. Each spot has a different cause.

At the top of the iPhone, only through another camera. Face ID. Read the next section.
Near the back cameras of a Pro model, only through another camera. The LiDAR Scanner.
Around all the edges of the screen when you talk to Siri. The Siri glow.
In photos you take, as a purple spot, ring or haze. Lens flare.
On the screen itself, as a tint, a line or a flicker. A setting or the display.
In the flashlight beam. The flash LED and the room light.

The Face ID Light Is Infrared

The Face ID parts sit in the black area at the top of the screen. Apple says the TrueDepth camera projects and reads thousands of invisible dots to map your face. It also takes an infrared picture of your face.

Your eyes cannot see infrared light. Many cameras can. Apple says that through certain types of cameras you might notice light coming from the TrueDepth camera, and that this is expected. Phone cameras often show it as a purple or white flicker.

You can test it in ten seconds.

Open the camera on a second phone and point it at the top of your iPhone.
Lock your iPhone, then raise it to unlock with Face ID.
Watch the second phone's screen. A quick purple flash at the top means Face ID fired.

Apple says Face ID works even in total darkness. In a very dark room, you may notice a faint light from it with your own eyes. Apple says that is expected too.

Is it safe? Apple says the system is safe under normal use and its low output will not harm your eyes or skin. Apple adds that the system may switch itself off if the phone is damaged. A repair with parts that are not genuine could cause unsafe exposure. If your Face ID needs a repair, use Apple or an authorized shop.

The LiDAR Scanner on Pro Models

Pro iPhones have one more light sensor, on the back, next to the cameras. It is called the LiDAR Scanner. Apple lists it on the iPhone 16 Pro tech specs, where it helps Night mode portraits.

Apple says the LiDAR Scanner measures the distance to things up to 5 meters away and works at the photon level.

Like Face ID, the light is meant for the phone's sensors, not your eyes. If a second phone's camera shows a faint flicker near the back lenses of a Pro model while the camera is open, this sensor is the likely source. The iPhone 15 tech specs do not list it, so a flicker on the back of a base model has another cause.

The Purple Glow Around the Screen Is Siri

On newer iPhones, a ring of color can sweep around the edges of the screen. It looks like the phone is glowing.

Apple says Siri has a design with a glowing light that wraps around the edge of the screen when Siri is active. It comes with Apple Intelligence. The glow has several colors, and purple is a big part of it.

If it shows up when you did not mean to call Siri, you may have pressed the side button too long or said something close to the wake phrase. It goes away when Siri stops listening.

If the edges flash purple when Siri is not on, that is something else. Do a force restart. Apple's steps for a Face ID iPhone are below.

Press and quickly let go of volume up.
Press and quickly let go of volume down.
Press and hold the side button.
Let go when the Apple logo shows up.

If the flash keeps coming back after a restart and an update, the display needs a look from Apple.

A Purple Spot in Your Photos Is Lens Flare

This one shows up in your own pictures. You see a purple dot, a ring or a purple haze, often near a bright light or the sun.

Back in 2012, many iPhone 5 owners saw a purple haze in photos. Apple's answer at the time, as iMore reported, was that a light at an angle, often just outside the frame, reflects off the parts inside the camera and onto the sensor. The fix Apple gave still works on any iPhone.

Move the phone a little so the bright light hits the lens at a new angle.
Shade the lens with your hand, just out of the shot.

Apple's current camera help page lists lens flare as a known photo issue. Its first steps are simple.

Take off any case, film or add on that sits near the lens.
Clean the front and back lenses with a microfiber cloth.
Restart the iPhone and update iOS.

A case or a smudge near the lens can make flare worse. If flare shows up in every photo, even with no bright light in view, Apple says the camera may need service.

A Purple Screen, Line or Flicker

If the purple is on the screen itself, the cause is a setting or the display.

A purple or pink cast over the whole screen is usually a color setting. The guide on a pink, green or yellow screen tint walks through the iPhone settings to check.

A purple line, or a purple bar that comes and goes, is a different problem. Start with a force restart, using the steps above. If the line stays, the guide on a line on a phone screen helps you tell a software glitch from a broken screen. A bright spot on the screen has its own guide too.

A purple screen right after a drop, or one that spreads, is display damage. That is a repair job. Check your warranty or AppleCare first.

The Flashlight Looks Purple

Some owners see a pink or purple cast in the flashlight. On Apple's forum, the reply was that the LED flash makes white light, and the surface and room light change how it looks.

Test it against a white wall next to another iPhone. If yours is clearly more purple, Apple's camera and flash page says to take off the case and try the flashlight in Control Center. If it still looks wrong, get service.

The Status Bar Dots Are Not Purple

People who spot a purple light often worry that an app is watching them. The camera warning is a different color.

Apple says an orange dot means an app is using the microphone. A green dot means an app is using the camera. An orange square shows up in place of the orange dot when the Differentiate Without Color setting is on.

So a purple light is not a camera warning. If you see a green dot and you did not open the camera, close your apps and check which ones have camera access in Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Camera.

Advice to Ignore

"Cover the Face ID sensor with tape." It blocks Face ID and does nothing for your safety. Apple says the light is safe in normal use.

"A purple light means your phone is hacked." The Face ID and LiDAR lights are normal parts of the phone. The real camera and mic warnings are the green and orange dots.

"Reset all settings to fix lens flare." Flare is light bouncing inside the lens. A setting cannot change that. Move the phone, shade the lens or take off the case.

"Any repair shop can fix Face ID." Apple says a repair with parts that are not genuine could make the system unsafe. Face ID repairs belong with Apple or an authorized shop.

From the Inbox

Is the purple light on my iPhone a camera spying on me?: No. The purple light that shows up when another camera points at your iPhone is the Face ID system. It sends out infrared light to read your face, and some cameras can see that light. When an app really uses your camera, Apple shows a green dot in the status bar. A microphone in use shows an orange dot.
Is the Face ID light safe for my eyes?: Apple says the TrueDepth camera is safe under normal use and its low output will not harm your eyes or skin. Apple also says a damaged phone may turn the system off, and a repair with parts that are not genuine could make it unsafe. Get Face ID repairs done by Apple or an authorized shop.
Why do I see a purple light on my iPhone in the dark?: Face ID is built to work in total darkness. Apple says that in a very dark room you may notice a faint light from the TrueDepth camera when it reads your face, and that this is expected.
Why is my iPhone screen flashing purple at the edges?: On an iPhone with Apple Intelligence, Siri shows a glowing light that wraps around the edge of the screen while it listens. A press on the side button or a voice command can start it. If the edges flash purple when Siri is not running, force restart the phone. If it keeps happening, it is a display fault for Apple to check.
Why are my iPhone photos showing a purple spot?: That is lens flare. A bright light at an angle, often just outside the frame, bounces off the parts inside the camera and lands on the sensor. Apple suggests moving the camera a little or shading the lens with your hand. Also remove any case or film near the lens and clean it with a microfiber cloth.

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