If you use Zoom on a Mac, now is the time to make sure you've updated to version 5.9.3. Zoom has identified a bug on Mac devices running macOS Monterey that results in a user's microphone remaining on even after exiting a call.
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Users have been complaining about the issue since December, as documented in a post on Zoom’s community forum. Several users noticed that the orange recording light in the Control Center appears even when they’re not using Zoom. The light is a privacy feature introduced in Monterey that alerts you when an app is using your microphone. This has obviously raised some privacy concerns, given that Zoom had a serious privacy vulnerability on Macs in the past. In 2020, the company was accused of misleading users about offering edge-to-edge encryption, when in fact it didn’t at the time.
See also: Apple: Fixes zero-day bug that allows iPhone, iPad and Mac to be compromised
A Zoom spokesperson later commented, stating that Zoom “addressed an issue related to the Zoom client for macOS that could result in the orange indicator light continuing to appear after leaving a meeting, call, or webinar.” The spokesperson also noted that Zoom’s update to version 5.9.3, which was released in late January, will fix the issue. Zoom first attempted to fix the issue with the December 5.9.1 update, as its release notes state that Zoom “resolved an issue with the microphone indicator light turning on when not in a meeting on macOS Monterey,” but it appears that this fix isn’t working for everyone.
«Zoom has determined that this bug did not result in audio data being transmitted back to the Zoom platform. As always, we recommend that users ensure their Zoom client is updated to the latest version.»
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However, the new 5.9.3 update does seem to actually fix the bug. Before the update, the orange indicator light would appear in the Control Center and menu bar when Zoom was open (but not in a video call), and the light disappeared shortly after installing the update. You can update Zoom on Mac by opening the Zoom desktop client, clicking your profile picture in the upper-right corner of the window, and selecting “Check for Updates.” Zoom will automatically search for and install the latest update.
