Android icons in the status bar and their meaning

By Marlene Polywka | Mar 30, 2023 1:18 p.m

Do you know the meaning of all the icons on the top bar of your Android smartphone? There are numerous icons for the Google operating system, which are not always self-explanatory. TECHBOOK shows what the characters mean exactly.

We also give you a summary of the Android symbols in the video:

Map Android icons correctly

The following Android symbols can appear on your smartphone:

Cellular and reception

• The bar icon means that your Android smartphone is connected to a mobile network. The number of bars shows the reception strength
• If there is a small “x” symbol next to the bars, there is currently no network coverage. Incidentally, the bars can also appear as a closed symbol with straight lines, which is then filled in according to the received power
• The third icon indicates that mobile internet is on. Above is which mobile network standard you use, here for example LTE (sometimes also referred to as 4G)
• The rainbow-shaped lines with the arrows show that you are connected to the WLAN with your smartphone

Also Read: How to Enable Emergency Mode on Android Smartphone

Connection, Sound and Location

• The cone (sometimes represented as rainbow-shaped lines as seen above) with the exclamation mark means WiFi is connected but there is no Internet access
• The “B” shows you that your Bluetooth is activated. Incidentally, the transmission standard was named after the Danish king Harald Bluetooth, who lived in the 10th century
• The speaker icon with the “x” shows that your Android smartphone is in “silent” mode – and accordingly does not make any noise when someone calls or texts you
• The pinhead indicates that your geolocation is active. Apps like Google Maps can then access your location
• The curved “N” symbol stands for NFC (Near Field Communication). If this function is activated, you can transmit data wirelessly over a short distance – for example when making contactless payments with your smartphone

SIM card, screenshot, update, alarm clock and calls

• The small card with the exclamation mark simply means that you have not inserted a SIM card or your smartphone cannot find it
• The icon with the photo indicates that a screenshot has been taken
• The two circling arrows with the arrow pointing down mean that a new system update is available
• The alarm clock symbol indicates that you have activated it and that it will ring at the set time
• The handset with the rainbow lines/cone means that WiFi calling is enabled. Some mobile phone providers offer this function, the user can then make calls via the WLAN network instead of the mobile phone network. This ensures better reception in closed rooms and better voice quality (only found on certain models)

Do Not Disturb, Screenshot, SD Card, Sync and USB

• The crossed-out circle means Do Not Disturb mode is on. You can set this individually: Either you mute everything with it or you only allow certain people, alarms and reminders to disturb you
• The exclamation mark next to the image indicates that no screenshot could be taken – for example because the memory is full or the app is blocking screenshots
• The small memory card means that Android has recognized an inserted SD card
• The two circling arrows mean data is syncing in the background
• The icon with the three paths pointing up means that the smartphone is connected to another device, such as a laptop, via USB

Call, modes, battery, mobile network

• The handset symbolizes an active call
• The aircraft indicates that the “Flight mode“ is active – and all radio units such as the mobile network or the mobile Internet are switched off
• If the battery symbol with a lightning bolt appears in the middle, the smartphone is currently being charged
• If an “R” appears next to the reception bar, it means that the smartphone is connected to a third-party mobile network (roaming). The user can still make phone calls, but the costs could be higher
• If you see a smartphone with small lines on the sides, it means that the vibration mode is turned on. The mobile phone does not ring when there is a call or a message, but it vibrates – sometimes noisily

Memory, background usage and casting function

• The filled circle indicates that the system memory is full and may need to be emptied
• The graph indicates that there are apps running in the background that consume power (only on smartphones from certain manufacturers)
• The partially filled circle with the plus sign in the middle marks the reduced data consumption. You can change this setting manually
• The screen symbol and reception icon appear at the top if you have activated the casting function, for example if you have started a YouTube video on your smartphone and then played it back on the connected television with a tap

source