Android status icons
Icons on the right of the Android status bar show signal, Wi-Fi, battery and modes; icons on the left are notifications from apps. A green indicator at the top right means an app is using the camera or microphone.
How to read it
Samsung’s support page says the system icons in the status bar show the current status of the phone. Engadget’s 2026 guide says they sit on the right, with notification icons from apps grouped on the left, and that the shapes vary a little from maker to maker. Android Help says an app whose notifications are set to alert puts its icon in the status bar. This page gives the icons as Google’s and Samsung’s help centres describe them, September 2026, with Engadget’s guide for the shapes.
Also searched as: Android icons top of screen, Android symbols.
The green camera and microphone indicator
Android Help says a green indicator shows at the top right of the screen when apps use the camera or microphone. Google’s developer documentation dates it to Android 12: from that version, an icon appears in the status bar when an app uses the microphone or camera. The Android Open Source Project’s description says the icon shows first and then turns into a dot, which stays until the app is dismissed or closed, and that tapping the indicators shows which apps are using the microphone, camera or location. A recent-access indicator covers an app that used them in the previous 15 seconds. The same documentation describes a location indicator, with its rules set out for Android 17 and higher.
Common icons
| Icon | What it means |
|---|---|
| Bars, or a triangle on a Pixel | Cellular signal strength. Pixel Help says the more the triangle fills in, the stronger the signal. |
| R beside the bars | Roaming, outside the carrier’s coverage area. |
| Wi-Fi | Connected to Wi-Fi. Pixel Help says a fuller icon is a stronger signal. With an exclamation mark, connected to the network but with no internet access; with an X, no internet access at all (Engadget). |
| Airplane | Airplane mode (Samsung: flight mode): cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are off. |
| Two incomplete circles with a dot in the middle | The phone is a Wi-Fi hotspot that other devices can use. |
| N with a double middle dash | NFC is on. |
| Battery with a lightning bolt | The phone is plugged in and charging. |
| Battery in orange, red or yellow | Battery saver is on and background activity is restricted (Engadget). Samsung calls it power saving mode. |
| Data Saver icon | Data Saver is on: most apps get background data only over Wi-Fi (Pixel Help). |
| Teardrop map pin | Location is in use. |
| Alarm clock | An alarm is set. |
| Solid circle with a horizontal dash | Do Not Disturb is on. |
| Speaker with a line through it | Silent mode. |
| Speaker with a wavy line | Vibrate mode. |
| Phone handset | A call is in progress. |
| Handset with a broken arrow | A missed call. |
| Microphone crossed out | The microphone is muted. |
| Green camera or microphone icon, then a green dot | An app is using the camera or microphone. |
Differences by maker
Samsung says its indicator icons vary by phone model, may look different depending on the service provider, and that some appear only when the notification panel is open. Its list includes Galaxy features such as the S Pen, Enhanced Processing and Separate app sound, and an icon for “Error occurred or caution required”. On a Pixel, Google’s help describes the signal icon as a triangle rather than bars.
Look-alikes
The Android green indicator and the iPhone dots don’t match. Apple gives orange for the microphone and green for the camera, alone or with the microphone (Orange dot on iPhone, Green dot on iPhone). On Android, green covers the camera or the microphone.
More phone status icons
Browse symbols drawn with curves and waves or triangles.
Sources
- Check if your Android camera or microphone is on or off, Google, Android Help
- Privacy indicators, Android Open Source Project documentation, Android Open Source Project
- Behavior changes: all apps (Android 12), Android 12 developer documentation, Android Developers, Microphone and camera indicators
- What do the different indicator icons mean on your Galaxy phone, Samsung support FAQ, updated 24 April 2026, Samsung UK
- Here's what all of those Android status bar icons mean, Gabriela Vătu, 7 July 2026, Engadget
- Control notifications on Android, Google, Android Help
- Use less mobile data with Data Saver, Google, Pixel Phone Help
- Connect to Wi-Fi networks on your Pixel phone, Google, Pixel Phone Help
- Fix mobile connectivity issues, Google, Pixel Phone Help
- About the orange and green indicators in your iPhone status bar, Apple Support article 108331, published 27 May 2026, Apple Support
Last reviewed September 30, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research