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Guide to the Most Common iPhone Status Icons

The iPhone uses a lot of status icons in order to show information in a very small space on screen. From the commonly known Wi-Fi signal icon to the not-so-well-known orientation lock icon, there are quite a few you’ll see on your iPhone at one point or another. It’s good to know what these mean so you can utilize their features or make sure at glance that they’re turned on or off. Here’s your guide to the most common iPhone status icons.

Related: What Is HDR and How to Use It on iPhone: Everything You Need to Know

Home Screen:

Let’s start on Home Screen. These icons can also be seen within apps, but instead of appearing white, they will appear black.

  • Wi-Fi: The Wi-Fi signal at the top represents your internet connection. When present, it means your Wi-Fi is turned on and connected. It also shows you how strong your Wi-Fi connection is by how many bars are filled.

 

 

 

  • LTE, 3G, 4G: If your Wi-Fi is turned off or you’re out of range, you might instead see LTE there. This signifies that your carrier’s network is available and you can connect to the internet using your data. You might also see 3G or 4G, which represents the same, although 4G offers faster data speeds than 3G.

 

  • Cellular Connection Strength: The dots left of the Wi-FI or LTE icon represents your cellular connection’s strength. If all the dots are filled white, you have a very strong connection. If only one dot is white, your internet will be extremely slow, if it works at all.

 

  • Battery Life: On the right top of Home screen you’ll see the battery icon. The fuller the battery on screen, the more battery life your iPhone has.  As it goes down, it will turn yellow or red, which represents a low battery life.

 

  • Bluetooth: Next to the battery is the Bluetooth symbol. When it appears on Home screen, that means Bluetooth is turned on. If it is grey, no devices are connected. If the Bluetooth icon is white, you have a device connected to your iPhone via Bluetooth.

 

  • Alarm: Next to the Bluetooth symbol (when on), you’ll see a small clock icon. If present, that means you have an alarm set in the clock app. If not present, your alarm is turned off. This is a quick way to double check your alarm is set for the next morning when going to bed.

 

  • Location Tracking: When an app is using your location, you will see this icon (an arrow pointing up at a diagonal) in the top, right of your screen. It indicates that the app and therefore your iPhone is currently tracking where you are located. This is used in apps such as Maps to give you directions or in Safari when looking for something nearby.

 

In Control Center

Access Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of your screen.

  • Airplane Mode: At the top of Control Center, to the very left is the icon of an Airplane. When highlighted, all connection to the internet, calls, and texts will not be received. This function is intended for exactly what the pictures suggests—being on an airplane. However you can also use it to save battery life if your iPhone is running dangerously low, just remember that you won’t receive any calls or messages when it’s on. When Airplane Mode is on, an airplane icon will also appear on the Home screen.

 

  • Wi-Fi: To the right of Airplane mode is another Wi-Fi icon. When highlighted, it means your Wi-Fi is turned on. It does not necessarily mean that you are connected though. You can quickly turn Wi-Fi on or off by tapping this icon in Control Center.

 

  • Bluetooth: To the right of the Wi-Fi icon is another Bluetooth icon. When highlighted, it means your Bluetooth is on. However, it does not mean you are connected to a device. You can quickly turn Bluetooth on or off by tapping this icon in Control Center.

 

  • Do Not Disturb: The moon icon in Control Center represents Do Not Disturb mode. When highlighted, it means Do Not Disturb is turned on. Do Not Disturb silences your iPhone and turns off vibrate. You will still receive calls, messages, and notifications but you won’t be "disturbed" by them. This is an ideal mode for working, going to the theater, libraries, and other places where you don’t want your phone to make noise. You can easily turn Do Not Disturb on or off by tapping this icon in Control Center. When Do Not Disturb is on the icon will also appear on the Home screen.

 

  • Orientation Lock: At the top of Control Center on the far right is a lock icon with a circle around it. When highlighted, it means you’ve turn Portrait Orientation Lock on. That means your screen will not turn on its side when you turn your iPhone on its side. The iPhone automatically moves the screen to fit the way you’re viewing it, but if you want to keep it from doing that for any reason, tap this icon to turn on Orientation Lock. When Orientation Lock is on the icon will also appear on the Home screen.

 

 

Top Image Credit: Miss Ty / Shutterstock

 






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