Windows 11 - Microphone icon in system tray

@JosephT71 - I don't get your point that it's a safety issue. What scenario are you suggesting the icon is needed for? For a Zoom or Teams call, the microphone icon is on because you are talking to the other person which is what one does on a Zoom or Teams call. The microphone icon does not indicate you are recording the call (Zoom and Team already have separate indicators when one is recording the call). So if it's not a Zoom or Teams call, are you suggesting that maybe some spyware has been installed on your computer and someone is constantly listening to what's going on in the room with your computer in it? If so, it seems like maybe virus protection software is the best solution to solve that. I agree with everyone else on this thread that the ever present icon is annoying and distracting in the task bar. People who are worried about someone installing spyware could choose to turn the icon on if Microsoft provided a user controlled option.

The fact they still don't allow us to remove 2 years later says a lot. Will be reverting to windows 10 as long as possible.

this is complete trash and not true.

Im asking because I only want a specific number of icons to show up when active. Such as my VPN.

You can have it off because 1 of my laptops running the most current version of windows has no microphone icon despite using the mic in apps like discord.

My new laptop has the icon there and its forced stuck there.

You do realise it's not going to do anything to stop someone recording a conversation without the other person knowing because they CANNOT SEE IT, if I am recording on MY computer and not theirs don't you?

You do realize that there are plenty of scenarios like one spouse installed some kind of secret monitoring software on the other spouse's computer and secretly record their conservations.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50166147

This mic icon protects the other spouse.

Or you downloaded some pirated software which contained spyware (and it turn on the microphone).

People on this thread kept on asking for some simple registry deletion that will turn off the microphone icon. Imagine the spyware delete a few registry items and shuts off the microphone icon when the spyware installs itself onto your computer.

Therefore this mic icon cannot be removed on purpose. I surely hope that Microsoft's security team would not be so stupid that this important security/privacy protection can be defeated by a simple registry deletion.