A prominent orange dot in macOS Monterey is causing problems for artists

Live performers are complaining that Apple’s macOS Monterey microphone in use alert, an orange dot in the Menu Bar, has rendered the Mac unusable during events.

Apple implemented a visual representation that alerts users to any application or device accessing their microphone or camera — an orange or green dot in the Menu Bar. This security feature is meant to draw users’ attention to inadvertent access but has been implemented in a way that is disruptive to visual artists.