G icon at the top of a phone: what does it mean?
The phone is on GPRS (or 1xRTT on an iPhone), the oldest and slowest mobile data.
What each maker says
- iPhone (Apple) — GPRS/1xRTT. Your carrier’s GPRS (GSM) or 1xRTT (CDMA) network is available and iPhone can connect to the internet over it.
Source: Apple Support: Learn the meaning of iPhone status icons (iPhone User Guide) (checked 2026-09-29) - Samsung Galaxy — GPRS network. Connected to a GPRS mobile data network: basic data, and possibly slower than newer network technologies.
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
- A single capital G next to the signal bars.
- 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.