What do the icons on the Android status bar mean?

The icons at the top of Android smartphones have changed a lot over time. As features have been added, more icons have appeared, and it can sometimes get confusing. Here's what they all mean.

Battery and charger

Perhaps the most easily understood icon is the battery icon - here are variations of the battery icon.

1. The battery status icon may be accompanied by a battery percentage. A simpler version of this icon will simply show that the battery is fully charged.
2. The charging icon will appear if the phone is charging - wired or wireless.
3. Battery saving mode is indicated by a battery bar icon with a cross (similar to the red cross symbol commonly associated with first aid and medical services).
4. For low battery – which usually means between 15 and 5% and is configurable – the battery icon has an exclamation mark.

Note: The Android status bar is the strip of icons that runs across the top of the screen. The top-right corner is where you'll see most of these icons, while the top-left corner is mostly for app notifications.

Network and connectivity

The network bars and Wi-Fi icons represent your cellular and Internet networks, as well as additional connectivity features. The cellular and Wi-Fi icons show a rough estimate of signal strength—the shaded icon level is used to gauge how strong the signal is, just like the battery icon. Some carriers also display the network speed—LTE, 4G, or 5G—next to this icon.

1. An exclamation mark next to the cellular or Wi-Fi icon means there is no Internet connection. However, for Wi-Fi, it means the device can be connected to (a wireless local area network) but not to the Internet.
2. A circle with a cross inside means your device is in data saver mode. This simply means your device is reducing data usage wherever possible, allowing you to save on your data plan costs.
3. A mobile hotspot icon appears when you enable the feature to turn your smartphone into a Wi-Fi hotspot.
4. The old Bluetooth icon indicates that your smartphone is paired and connected to another device, such as a pair of headphones, a smartwatch, etc.
5. The airplane icon replaces the cellular network icon and the Wi-Fi icon, indicating that airplane mode will cut off all connections from your smartphone. You can then turn on the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi options separately to connect to the Wi-Fi on the plane or to listen to music from your phone, tablet, or laptop.

Call

Traditional icons for the calling experience have been there for quite a while.

1. The most obvious of these icons is the phone icon, which alternates between an active call and a missed call. Interestingly, these icons appear on the left side of the status bar.
2. If you have muted your microphone during a call, you will see a crossed-out microphone in your status bar - on the right.
3. The phone icon on the right, which closely resembles the icon for an ongoing call, indicates that you are in speakerphone mode. Previously, this icon was the traditional speakerphone icon.

Other modes

Typically, you put your phone in one of the many available modes to turn off notifications, silence pings, or just to focus on the actual thing you're doing.

1. The icon that looks like a phone bar with vibrate mode indicates that the phone is in vibrate mode and will vibrate for calls and notifications but will not make any sound.
2. The crossed out speaker implies that the phone is in silent mode and will not make any sound for calls and notifications nor will it vibrate for effect.
3. Another available mode is the do not disturb option, which will block all notifications (you can customize which apps or contacts can be shown even when DND is enabled) - this icon is a solid circle containing a dash.

Other icons

Occasionally, you'll see a bunch of other icons in the status bar. In addition to these status icons, you'll see app-specific icons whenever you receive a notification.

1. An inverted teardrop with a hole indicates that location services are on and that an Android app or feature is tracking or sharing your location. For example, this icon is always active when you have navigation enabled.
2. A box with a Wi-Fi icon appears whenever you cast from your phone to another display on your network. For example, casting a YouTube video from your phone to your living room TV.

Now that you can recognize some of the most common Android status bar icons, a quick glance to the top right corner will always keep you informed about what's going on with your phone.

David Pac

Update 27 December 2024