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YellowDot

Hide the macOS yellow recording dot
Download v1for old macOS < 12.2
Download v2for new macOS > 13.0
Source codeLicensed under GPLv3
Changelog

Hide that pesky yellow dot

As long as the YellowDot app is running, the recording dot, location icon and screencapture indicator will always blend in with the current menubar icon colors instead of being a colorful distraction.
screenshot of yellow dot in the corner of the screen with an arrow pointing at it

How it works?

YellowDot works by searching for the dot on the screen, and then making it full black or white to make it blend in with the menubar icon colors. This action is done every second to keep the dot hidden at all times.
In fullscreen spaces on MacBooks with a notch, this makes the dot disappear completely.

But why?

The yellow dot is useful in letting you know if an app is using the microphone without your permission, or if you forgot an app open that's still recording.
But when you're already familiar with all the apps that use the microphone, it turns into an annoyance.

FAQ

How can I hide the dot completely on macOS 14.4 and newer?

Since macOS Sonoma 14.4, Apple provided a way to hide the recording indicator on external displays without using an app:

Hide privacy indicators on external displays in macOS

How can I hide the dot completely on macOS 12.2 until macOS 14.4?

YellowDot only colors the dot black or white, which might not be ideal for some situations.

Removing the dot in 12.2 and later requires altering system files, which YellowDot doesn't do.

Tyshawn Cormier came up with a very clever solution for this in his RecordingIndicatorUtility app. Check it out if you still want to hide the dot!

How do I quit YellowDot?

  • Click on the menubar icon (or launch YellowDot again if the icon is hidden)
  • Click on the Quit button

Why would I want to hide the yellow dot?

The idea came from this HackerNews thread: Apple added an orange dot that’s a showstopper for live visuals

When projecting live visuals, you might want to make the screen background black to give the impression of floating effects. The yellow dot in the corner breaks that illusion.

The user Sydney San Martin posted a command-line implementation in that thread called undot and I decided to make an easy to use app for it.