What Do the Android Status Bar Symbols Mean? A full guide

The topmost bar on your smartphone’s display is meant to give you a look at the running status of the important functions of your phone. Hence the term ‘status bar’. The right side of the status bar is assigned to permanent icons that display essential functions of the phone, while the left side is usually allotted to app notifications. In this article, we explain what the Android status bar symbols mean and where you can find them.

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Battery icon

A permanent fixture at the right end of the status bar, the battery icon represents the charge you have left on your phone. The battery icon is full when your phone is at 100% charge. As the battery level drops down, it will be indicated in the battery icon as well. You can also choose to have the battery percentage displayed along with the icon. 

When your phone is charging, the battery icon displays a charging sign within it. When the battery level drops below 15%, the icon turns red and shows the ‘Power Saving Mode’ sign. 

Network, WiFi, and Data

To the left of the battery icon, you’ll find the signs for the cellular network, mobile data, and WiFi. Similar to the battery icon, the network icons reflect the strength of the network connection. The cellular network is typically represented by four vertical bars of increasing heights. The number of bars displayed in white represents the strength of the network connection.

Next to the network bars, you’ll notice a sign that says VoLTE. This means you can make voice calls over the LTE network. The vertical arrows in opposite directions represent the mobile data connection and are only displayed when you turn on the mobile data on your device. You can also choose to display the connection speed right next to this icon.

Other network icons you’ll find displayed on the status bar include WiFi, WiFi hotspot, and Bluetooth. These icons only appear when those functions are in use. 

Call, Alarm, and Volume

These alerts are easy to recognise. You may have noticed the phone icon that appears when you’re on call. There’s a similar phone icon with an arrow diverting from it, which signifies a missed call. If you ever try out WiFi calling you’ll see a WiFi sign with the phone icon integrated into it. 

Besides call signs, the status bar also has unique symbols for the volume setting on your phone. If your phone is on silent the status bar will display a muted speaker. If it’s on vibrate, the speaker will be accompanied by the vibration waves icon. A clock icon means you have set up active alarm(s) on your phone.

Other Icons

Apart from all the major icons mentioned above, there is a range of other symbols that get displayed on the status bar from time to time. Certain icons appear only appear when your use the corresponding function on the phone. This includes a pin icon for location services, a plane icon for airplane mode, a key icon for VPN status, and a rectangular box for screen casting. On top of that, the status bar also displays icons for app notifications. You may have noticed the WhatsApp icon appear on the status bar whenever you receive a new message. Other apps are also allowed to use the status bar to display notifications. You can read the full notifications by swiping down from the status bar.

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Conclusion

These are the most common symbols displayed on the status bar and the meaning behind them. After going through this guide you will be able to spot these icons easily and understand what they signify. You can also hide unnecessary icons from appearing on the status bar by going to Settings>Notifications>Do Not Disturb>Hide Notifications>Hide status bar icons.