Fact · Dictation on phones and tablets
After Voice Control finishes its first download on iPhone, a microphone symbol in the status bar shows whether Voice Control is listening or not listening.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“a microphone will appear in the status bar of your device that indicates that Voice Control is listening or not listening.”
Use Voice Control on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, Apple, Apple Support, 2026, How to turn on Voice Control.
Open the original- What it measures
- Apple's support article on Voice Control for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, read on 2026-10-17. The sentence follows the setup step Set up Voice Control.
- What it does not show
- Apple's sentence describes the symbol as a status indicator. It does not say what the symbol looks like on each iOS version, so use it as a check on whether Voice Control is listening rather than as a guide to its appearance.