What do the icons at the top of my phone mean?
Apple, Samsung and Google each publish what their status icons mean — but listed by name, which does not help when all you can see is a little moon, a key or a green dot. Pick the shape, then match the drawing. 43 icon shapes (27 iPhone, 27 Samsung, 7 Pixel/Android), each with the maker’s own meaning, its source and, where the maker says, how to turn it off.
Tap a shape — the icons that use it appear here.
An arrow — 3 icons
A moon, bell, clock or speaker — 5 icons
Bars, a triangle or Wi-Fi fan — 6 icons
Letters — 7 icons
A dot — 3 icons
A lock or a key — 3 icons
A phone handset — 3 icons
A battery — 4 icons
A plane, pin, ring or other picture — 9 icons
Same shape, different meaning
A few shapes are shared but do not mean the same thing on every phone. Each has one page that lists every maker’s meaning side by side:
- A handset with an arrow — The same idea means two different things: on an iPhone, call forwarding is set up; on a Samsung Galaxy, you have a missed call.
- 5G (and 5G+, 5G UC, 5G UW, 5G E) — Your carrier’s 5G network is available. On a Samsung Galaxy the box matters: a filled box means connected to 5G, an outlined box means you are on LTE in an area where 5G is available.
- Green dot — An app is using the camera. On an iPhone green means the camera (with or without the microphone); on Android it means the camera or the microphone.
Reading the top of the screen
- Left and right sides differ. On a Samsung Galaxy with One UI 7, swiping down from the top left opens notifications and from the top right opens Quick settings, where most of these features can be turned on or off (Samsung). On an iPhone, Apple says that on models with Face ID more status icons appear at the top of Control Center.
- Colour carries meaning on an iPhone. A yellow battery is Low Power Mode, a grey charging battery is paused charging, an orange dot is the microphone and a green dot is the camera (Apple).
- Letters are the network, not the speed you get. 5G, LTE, 4G, 3G, E and G name the mobile data network the phone can use; Samsung separates “5G network” (filled box) from “5G available” (outlined box).
Left out, and why
- VoLTE or HD icons. Google’s VoLTE page for Pixel (support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/17570906) explains VoLTE but shows no status-bar icon, and neither Apple’s nor Samsung’s icon list includes one. These labels come from carriers, so we give no meaning we could not source.
- N or NFC. Samsung lists NFC as a Quick settings tile (tap to turn NFC on or off), not as a status-bar icon on the page we read, and it shows no picture of a status-bar NFC mark. Apple and Google do not list one.
- Pixel Do Not Disturb, alarm and ringer icons. Google’s help pages explain how to use Do Not Disturb and the ringer, but none we read says which icon appears in the status bar, so Pixel is not named on those pages.
- App notification icons. Samsung notes that notification icons come from the apps installed, so they differ from phone to phone. These pages cover the phone’s own status icons.
- iPad status icons. iPad uses many of the same icons, but these pages quote only the iPhone guide.
Sources
Only the makers’ own support pages are used — no third-party icon lists. Each was fetched and read on the date shown.
- iPhone (Apple) — Apple Support: Learn the meaning of iPhone status icons (iPhone User Guide). OS: iOS 27, the version the guide opened on; not dated on the page. Checked 2026-09-29.
- iPhone (Apple) — Apple Support: About the orange and green indicators in your iPhone status bar. OS: iOS 14 or later; published 27 May 2026. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Samsung Galaxy — Samsung Canada support: Identify and understand the icons displayed in the top right corner of your Samsung Galaxy. OS: One UI; some icons marked One UI 7; last updated 4 September 2026. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Google Pixel and Android — Google Pixel Phone Help: Fix mobile connectivity issues. OS: Pixel phones; OS version not stated; not dated on the page. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Google Pixel and Android — Google Pixel Phone Help: Understand 5G compatibility & roaming on Pixel phones. OS: Pixel phones that work with 5G; OS version not stated; not dated on the page. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Google Pixel and Android — Google Pixel Phone Help: Connect to Wi-Fi networks on your Pixel phone. OS: Pixel phones; OS version not stated; not dated on the page. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Google Pixel and Android — Google Pixel Phone Help: Use less mobile data with Data Saver. OS: Android 8.0 and up; not dated on the page. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Google Pixel and Android — Google Pixel Phone Help: Use Battery Saver on a Pixel phone. OS: some steps Android 11 and up; not dated on the page. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Google Pixel and Android — Google Android Help: Connect to a virtual private network (VPN) on Android. OS: some steps Android 14 and up; not dated on the page. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Google Pixel and Android — Google Android Help: Check if your Android camera or microphone is on or off. OS: some steps Android 12 and up; not dated on the page. Checked 2026-09-29.