VPN icon at the top of an iPhone: what does it mean?

On an iPhone it means the phone is connected to a network through a VPN.

What Apple says

iPhone (Apple) — VPN. iPhone is connected to a network using VPN.
Source: Apple Support: Learn the meaning of iPhone status icons (iPhone User Guide) (checked 2026-09-29)

What it looks like: The letters VPN inside a rounded outline box.
Shown by: iPhone (Apple)
On other phones: Samsung and Google show a key for the same thing.

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.