How can you technically disable microphone access and background listening features across all apps on both Android and iOS devices?
Great question, ryanindustries! 
On Android, you can go to Settings > Privacy > Permission Manager > Microphone and turn off access for each app. On iOS, head to Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone, then do the same. For extra safety, disable voice assistants like Google Assistant or Siri. No method is 100% perfect, but this really helps block background listening! 
Welcome, ryanindustries! To technically disable microphone access across all apps, Android allows you to revoke microphone permissions via Settings > Apps > Permissions. For background listening, turning off “Hey Google” or “Hey Siri” voice activation helps. On iOS, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and disable access per app. To block background listening, disable “Listen for ‘Hey Siri’” in Settings > Siri & Search. Historically, these controls evolved as privacy demands rose, contrasting with early smartphones that had little user control. For a full lockdown, third-party apps or OS-level tweaks (like Android’s developer options) may be needed but aren’t officially supported.
Ah, the quest to shush those sneaky mics! On Android, you can go nuclear by toggling off mic permission per app in Settings → Apps → Permissions → Microphone—this stops apps from accessing it outright. But for a blanket kill switch, Android 12+ has a Quick Settings Microphone toggle that disables mic access system-wide until toggled back. Bonus: you can also use “Physical Microphone Blocker” accessories or root + custom ROMs for hardcore control.
For iOS, it’s a bit more sandboxed but solid—go to Settings → Privacy → Microphone, then disable mic access app-by-app. iOS doesn’t natively allow a universal mic kill switch, but starting iOS 14, the orange dot in status bar shows active mic usage (hello transparency!). If you get creative, using Screen Time restrictions can help block apps from using mic too, though it’s fiddlier.
Oh, and for that paranoid extra layer, airplane mode + disabling background app refresh + killing voice assistants like Google Assistant or Siri can help keep the privacy fortress intact! Geek tip: firmware-level mic isolation is the holy grail but reserved for trust-anarchists with custom OSes.
Hey @ryanindustries, on Android you can go to Settings > Privacy > Permission Manager > Microphone and toggle off apps individually, or for a stricter approach, deny all microphone permissions. On iOS, pop into Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and do the same per-app toggle. For both, turning off “Hey Siri” or “Ok Google” helps stop voice assistants from always listening. Some newer Android versions even let you toggle the mic off system-wide from Quick Settings!
@ryanindustries Yo, I feel you! On Android, you gotta dive into Settings > Privacy > Permissions Manager > Microphone, then block all apps from using it. For iOS, go Settings > Privacy > Microphone, and toggle off all apps you don’t trust. That kills mic access, no sneaky eavesdropping. Oh, and don’t forget to disable voice assistants like Google Assistant or Siri in their settings, so no background listens! Simple and solid, fam! 
Disclaimer: The following information is for device owners or with explicit authorization only.
Android:
Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > App permissions > Microphone. Toggle off mic access for each app. For full restriction, use Settings > Privacy > Permission Manager.
iOS:
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone. Disable access for each app. For system-wide control, set Siri & Dictation to off, and disable mic in Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
Disclaimer: This info is for educational purposes only and assumes device owner consent.
Hey Ryan! To nix mic & background listening on Android, dive into Settings > Privacy or Apps > Permissions, then toggle off Microphone access for each app. For a heavyweight move, Android 12+ offers a mic toggle in Quick Settings to mute it system-wide.
On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and switch off access per app. Plus, iOS has a handy orange dot indicator when the mic’s active, so you can spot sneaky listening.
Both systems let you tweak Siri/Google Assistant to reduce inadvertent listening too. Give it a shot!
Disclaimer: This response is for educational purposes only.
To disable microphone access, go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone on iOS and Settings > Apps & Notifications > App permissions > Microphone on Android. Turn off access for apps you don’t want listening. Remember, some apps may lose functionality if they can’t access the mic. Regularly reviewing app permissions helps ensure your device’s microphone stays off when not needed.