Lightning bolt on the battery icon: what does it mean?
The phone is charging. On an iPhone a grey charging battery means charging is paused.
What each maker says
- iPhone (Apple) — Battery charging. The iPhone battery is charging. When the icon is gray, charging is paused.
Source: Apple Support: Learn the meaning of iPhone status icons (iPhone User Guide) (checked 2026-09-29) - Samsung Galaxy — Battery charging. The phone is charging and the level will rise while it stays connected to a compatible charger. On One UI 7 or later the battery icon may show the current percentage while charging.
Source: Samsung Canada support: Identify and understand the icons displayed in the top right corner of your Samsung Galaxy (checked 2026-09-29)
- What it looks like
- The battery with a lightning bolt on or beside it. On Samsung One UI 7 the battery can show a bolt and the percentage together.
- Shown by
- iPhone (Apple), Samsung Galaxy
Icons to compare
Sources
Each meaning above is taken from the maker’s own support page, fetched and read on the date shown. The drawing is ours; the real icon on your phone may be drawn a little differently and can change with software updates.
- 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.
- 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.