Have you ever thought about the unusual icons present in Android’s notification and status bar? Do not worry! We are here for you.
The Android status bar is actually a pinboard for your Android device. This icon helps you stay up to date with all the events happening in your life. It also notifies you of any new text you received, someone liked your Instagram post or maybe someone went live from your account.
This can all be very overwhelming, but if the notifications are piling up, they can feel cluttered and cluttered if not cleared from time to time.
People often consider the status bar and notification bar to be the same, but that’s not the case!
The status bar and notification menu are two different types of features present in Android phones. the status bar is the top strip of the screen that displays the time, battery status, and network bars. Bluetooth, airplane mode, rotation off, Wi-Fi icons, etc. are added to the quick access bar for easy access. The left side of the status bar displays notifications if any.
On the contrary, the notification bar contains all notifications. You notice it when you drag the status bar and see a list of notifications lined up like a curtain.
When you swipe the notification bar, you will be able to see all the important notifications from different apps, phone systems, Whatsapp messages, alarm clock reminders, Instagram updates, etc.
You can even reply to Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram messages through the notification bar without even opening the apps.
Seriously, technology has made our lives so much easier.
Understanding the Android Status Bar Icons Explained
Today we are going to talk about the Android status bar and notification icons because they can be a bit tricky to understand.
A list of Android icons and their uses:
Airplane mode
Airplane mode is a unique feature that helps you turn off all your wireless connections. Enabling airplane mode tends to suspend all phone, voice, and text services.
Mobile data
By toggling the mobile data icon, you activate the 4G/3G mobile service. If this symbol is highlighted, it means your device is connected to the internet and it also shows the signal strength, represented as bars.
wifi icon
The Wi-Fi icon tells us if we are connected to an available network or not. Along with this, it also shows the stability of the radio waves that our phone receives.
flashlight icon
If you can’t tell by the beam of light coming from the back of your phone, a highlighted flashlight icon means your flash is currently on.
R icon
The small R icon indicates the roaming service of your Android device. This means that your device has connected to another cellular network that is outside of your mobile operator’s area of operation.
If you see this icon, you may or may not be losing your internet connection.
Empty triangle icon
Like the R icon, this also tells us about the status of the roaming service. This icon usually appears on older versions of Android devices.
Reading mode
This feature is usually found in the latest versions of Android devices. It does exactly what its name suggests. Optimizes your phone for reading and makes it an enjoyable experience by adopting grayscale mapping that helps calm human vision.
lock screen icon
This icon just helps you to lock your phone screen without using the external lock or power button.
GPS icon
If this icon is highlighted, it just means your location is turned on and your phone can triangulate your final location using GPS, mobile networks, and other features.
Auto brightness icon
This mode, if activated, will automatically adjust the brightness of your screen according to the ambient lighting conditions. This feature not only saves battery power but also improves visibility, especially during the day.
Bluetooth icon
If the Bluetooth icon is highlighted, it means your Bluetooth is on and you can now wirelessly exchange media files and data with a PC, tablet or another Android device. You can also connect to external speakers, computers and cars.
eye symbol icon
If you see this iconic symbol, don’t consider it crazy. This feature is called Smart Stay and ensures that your screen doesn’t dim when you’re looking at it. This icon is mostly seen on Samsung phones but can be disabled by exploring the settings.
Screenshot icon
The photo type icon that appears on your status bar means that you have taken a screenshot using the key combination i.e. volume down button and power button sunk together. This notification can be easily removed by swiping it.
Signal strength
The signal bars icon indicates your device’s signal strength. If the network is weak, you will see two or three hanging bars, but if it is strong enough, you will see more bars.
G, E and H icons
These three icons represent your internet connection speed and data plan.
The G icon stands for GPRS, i.e. General Packet Radio Service, which is the slowest among all others. Having that G in your status bar is not a pretty case.
The E icon it’s a slightly more progressive and evolved form of this particular technology, also known as EDGE, which means improved data rates for GMS Evolution.
Finally, we will talk about the H icon. It is also called HSPDA which stands for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access or in simpler terms 3G which is much faster than the other two.
Its advanced form is the H+ version faster than previous connections but slower than a 4G network.
Priority mode icon
Priority mode is represented by a star icon. When you see this sign, it means you will only receive notifications from contacts added to your favorites or priority list. You can enable this feature when you are very busy or maybe if you don’t feel like attending everyone.
NFC icon
The N icon means that our NFC, i.e. field communication, is activated. The NFC function allows your device to transmit and exchange media files and data wirelessly, simply by placing two devices side by side. It can also be disabled from the connection settings or the Wi-Fi switch.
A telephone handset icon with a keypad
This icon indicates that your TTY or TTY mode is enabled. This feature is exclusively for people with special abilities who cannot speak or hear. This mode facilitates communication by enabling portable communication.
Satellite dish icon
This icon has similar functions to the location icon and tells us that your GPS function is activated. If you wish to disable this mode, please visit your device’s location settings and turn it off.
No parking sign
This forbidden sign does not prohibit you from doing anything. If you see this sign, it simply means that you are currently in a restricted network area and your cellular connection is very weak or almost non-existent.
You will not be able to make calls, receive notifications, or send text messages in this situation.
Alarm clock icon
The alarm clock icon indicates that you have successfully set an alarm. You can remove it by going to the status bar settings and unchecking the alarm button.
A packaging
If you see an envelope in the notification bar, it means you have received a new email or text message (SMS).
System alert icon
The warning sign inside a triangle is the system alert icon which indicates that you have received a new system update or important notifications that you cannot miss.
I know, learning so many icons in total can be a bit overwhelming, but don’t worry. We have what you need. We hope this list of Android icons has helped you recognize and understand the meaning of each. Finally, we hope to have cleared your doubts about unknown icons. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
