WhatsApp Android bug has been found to give the app continuous access to the microphone

1 min readUpdated May 27, 2025May 10, 20236:47 AM

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WhatsApp, the popular messaging app owned by Facebook, has been found to include a bug that allows the app to continue accessing the microphone even after the user has closed it. This bug was discovered by several users, but brought to the spotlight by a Twitter engineer who noticed it happening on his Pixel 7 Pro.

The bug appears to be affecting several Android devices, including different Samsung and Pixel models, as well as several different versions of the Android app. However, WhatsApp has responded by claiming that the issue lies with Android, not the app itself.

In several of these reports, microphone activity from the app has been spotted in Android’s Privacy Dashboard as well as through the visible green dot notification on the Android status bar. However, WhatsApp states that this seems to be a bug on Android that mis-attributes information in the privacy dashboard and has asked Google to investigate further.

Unfortunately, WhatsApp’s response didn’t come until after Elon Musk took to his Twitter account to share his opinion. As you can probably guess by now, his reaction was not positive, accusing the company of not being trustworthy.

This latest bug could further erode users’ trust in the app, so it is important that Google take a look at the issue and respond accordingly. Hopefully this fix comes sooner rather than later.

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Questions & Answers

Which specific Android devices are affected by this WhatsApp bug?

The bug appears to be affecting several Android devices, including different Samsung and Pixel models. It has also been observed across various versions of the Android app, not just the latest one.

How did users and a Twitter engineer discover the continuous microphone access?

Users and a Twitter engineer noticed microphone activity for WhatsApp in Android’s Privacy Dashboard. A visible green dot notification on the Android status bar also indicated the app was accessing the microphone.

What is WhatsApp's explanation for the microphone access issue?

WhatsApp claims the issue is a bug within Android itself, which is mis-attributing information in the privacy dashboard. They have asked Google to investigate the matter further.

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