A grey dot next to a contact usually means they are offline, have unread messages, or indicate a specific app status, varying by platform (like Badoo's offline status, RingCentral app installed, or a general unread message indicator on Android/Instagram), or even a temporary glitch/setting issue on iPhone (AssistiveTouch or FaceTime issue).
According to the Find My iPhone Help, a green dot to the left of your device name means it's online; a red dot means it's offline; and a grey dot means Find My iPhone is trying to connect to the device.
You can see if someone is actively checking your location on an iPhone by checking the "People" tab in the Find My app (if you're sharing) and looking for purple arrows next to System Services in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, which indicate recent access, but there's no single log for who checked your exact spot in Find My unless they are using Precision Finding, which notifies you, or you're getting alerts for misplaced AirTags. The primary way to know who has access is to review who you're sharing with in Find My, while system service arrows show if your location was used recently by iOS features.
Grey spots typically arise from dead or stuck pixels, internal screen damage, or liquid damage. Manufacturing defects or excessive pressure on the display layer can create localized discoloration. In OLED panels, aging or moisture intrusion may degrade certain pixels and cause grey shadowing.
You can tell if someone restricted you on Messenger by noticing key changes: their activity status disappears, messages only show as "Sent" (never "Delivered"), calls go unanswered (no ringing), profile photos might seem missing to you (though visible to others), and you can't see their read receipts or online status, but the crucial sign is they still see your messages (they just go to their Message Requests), unlike a block where messages don't deliver at all.
When a contact or record is grayed out (highlighted in gray) that means that they disconnected from you or you disconnected from them.
iPhone to iPhone should be blue messaging. If it is green that could be a sign your messages have been blocked: iMessages are sent over the internet and appear in blue bubbles when sent between iOS users, while SMS messages are sent through your carrier and appear green.
Tell-tale signs your camera has been hacked
When AssistiveTouch is on, you'll see the AssistiveTouch icon (circle inside a gray rectangle) on your lock screen. You can drag it to a new location on your screen if it's in your way.
Messenger does not provide a “muted” flag to other users — meaning you won't see a label that says “you were muted.” Read receipts (delivered/read) and active statuses are the only technical clues, but they are imperfect: users can disable read receipts, turn off active status, or use the app in ways that hide their ...
Limited Profile Visibility: If you notice that you can no longer see their profile picture or status updates, it may indicate a restriction. Online Status: If you can't see when they are online or if they have been active, it might suggest that you have been restricted.
When you're restricted on Instagram, the following happens:
If you've been blocked, your messages won't show a “Delivered” status or a read receipt, and you may notice the iMessage “blue-to-green” change. If your messages switch from blue (iMessage) to green (SMS), it signals that Apple's servers are no longer delivering your messages to that person's device.
The profile, Page or group you've snoozed won't know that they've been snoozed. You can only snooze someone from a post in your Feed.
The green dot in the upper right corner of an Android phone is a privacy indicator that alerts you when an app is actively using your phone's camera or microphone. It's a security feature on Android 12 and later that provides real-time awareness of when your sensitive hardware is being accessed.
Understanding the Grey Spot on iPhone Screen:
Display Damage: A grey area may appear on the iPhone if there is physical damage to the display, such as impact damage or pressure exerted to the screen. Damage of this kind could impair the display components' performance and result in aberrant or discolored coloring.