Windows 11 - Microphone icon in system tray

I do not use Cortana. It is disabled. The only way to remove the icon is disabling the mic in Device Manager which is not what I want. If you take look to the internet, you will see several posts on this regard. I have no problem if it shows up whilst it is in use. It works like wi-fi icon. At least with Win11 Pro.

I don't have to be the smartest person in the room.

I just happen to be the most normal person in the room.

The rest of you are just arguing for arguing sake.

1. if R-y-a-n's special mixing software causes the mic icon to show up, then complain to the mixing software developer. Why aren't you complaining to mixing software developer? Because you would be laughed off by mixing software developer.
2. if people are using Voicemeeter or virtual audio cable and the mic icon show up, then complain to the Voicemeeter or virtual audio cable. Why aren't you complaining to Voicemeeter? Because you would be laughed off by Voicemeeter developer.
3. EU's GDPR is the most strict privacy law in the world. So it's not an "american" thing. I just use the American states law as an example.
4. if you set up your computer to always listen to "hey cortana" that causes the mic icon to show up. Then turn off Cortana.

This is what normal people would do.

Pleas all checks JosephsT71's reply on me from Januari 27:
>> I never said that it's a good or bad thing. I just checked all my posts in this thread.

>> I listed examples (such as people download pirated software that contained spyware or spouses spying on each other).

>>  I said that this is the law and this is how Microsoft implemented it.

>> The only thing I said that Microsoft did good was that I surely hope that Microsoft would not be naive enough to implement this in such a simple way

>> that a simple registry edit would defeat it. Because if Microsoft did something stupid like that, then we have to worry other "security" measures that are

>> keeping my banking information, my tax information and my health information secured."

So he is not saying that the implementation is just, but that there was a good reason why MS did this.
I think that the conclusion of us all is that MS  ways of trying to not break the law in some US (only) states is breaking privacy rules for us (and maybe even laws in some other US states (I as non-US citizen don't know) but certainly EU privacy laws, where this kind of "big brother is watching you" (even via an overwhelming unnecessary icon) is seen as breaking those kind of laws).

So please stop flaming on JosephsT71' s reaction and instead go back to the original question as posted by Default_267:
>> Hello.

>>

>> I was wondering, is there any way to completely get rid of the microphone icon on the system tray without including adding it onto the "Show hidden

>> icons"?

>> It's really annoying having that.

Thanks, this explains why it showed up out of the blue.

Stupid Teams. sigh.

You answered the OP indeed by saying that it is not possible and next to that, you said that that was a good thing (in your opinion I assume).
All replies you got are about that latter part that it is a good thing. We all think it is a bad thing.

I never said that it's a good or bad thing. I just checked all my posts in this thread.

I listed examples (such as people download pirated software that contained spyware or spouses spying on each other).

I said that this is the law and this is how Microsoft implemented it.

The only thing I said that Microsoft did good was that I surely hope that Microsoft would not be naive enough to implement this in such a simple way that a simple registry edit would defeat it. Because if Microsoft did something stupid like that, then we have to worry other "security" measures that are keeping my banking information, my tax information and my health information secured.

I think that a lot of the flame reactions you got were done since people assumed from your reactions that you were thinking that it was a good thing.
I misread also a number of your reactions in such a way, my apologies for that.

On the one hand I agree that making the option simple to hack is defeating having such a safeguard at all.
But on the other hand I still think this should be an option which a user can switch on / off for his / her account i.s.o. the way it is implemented now: forcefully.
And I also think that when somebody messed around with the settings for that account the account owner should be warned i.s.o. what currently often happens: Too often software now does things in the background with the registry, potentially opening backdoors, without the user knowing that the software does that.