Windows 11 - Microphone icon in system tray

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.

@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.

i know i dont care about safety on my own pc, in this aspect. obs is always using my mic.. my games are always using my mic.. i always accidentally click this darn icon and it opens up settings... so annoying lol

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.