The hidden meaning of the small hole next to the iPhone camera

If you own an iPhone and look at the back, in the area between the flash and the cameras, you can see a small hole that has been there since the iPhone 5 and continues to be there until Apple 's latest phone , the iPhone 16. In fact, you may have never noticed it or paid much attention to it, but those who have seen it wonder what its purpose is.

Some people think it's a sensor, while others think it's related to the flash or the focusing system. However, its function is more important than it might seem.

What is the small hole next to the iPhone camera?

As you might be thinking, yes, it's a microphone , but it's not the one you use to talk when someone calls you or to record WhatsApp audio. Instead, its function is to capture ambient sound when recording a video with the rear camera. By being attached to the camera, it can capture sound more clearly and in line with the image.

While this feature is only available for videos, it does help with video calls and Siri voice commands because it's part of the iPhone 's active noise cancellation system. Along with the phone's other microphones , it works to reduce annoying noises so your voice sounds as clear as possible in any situation.

If a video recorded with the rear camera doesn't sound quite right or there's a lot of noise, it could be that the microphone is clogged with dirt or damaged . As we just mentioned, the accuracy with which Siri understands you will also depend on this tiny hole. So, no matter how tiny it is, if it malfunctions, the experience with the phone will be very different.