The icons at the top of your iPhone screen are status icons. Apple says a lock means the iPhone is locked, a moon means Do Not Disturb is on, a clock means an alarm is set, and an arrow means an app is using your location. A small dot means an app is using your camera or microphone.
This guide is based on Apple’s Learn the meaning of iPhone status icons page. Apple notes that on iPhones with Face ID, more status icons appear at the top of Control Center.
Common iPhone Status Icons
- Lock: iPhone is locked.
- Moon: Do Not Disturb is on. Apple says any Focus you turn on shows its own icon in the status bar.
- Clock: an alarm is set.
- Arrow: an app is using Location Services.
- Lock with a circular arrow: portrait orientation lock is on. Apple says to open Control Center and tap the orientation lock button to turn it off.
- Headphones: Bluetooth headphones are paired, turned on, and in range.
- Airplane: Airplane Mode is on, so you can’t make calls and other wireless features may be off.
Camera and Microphone Dots
Apple lists the camera and microphone indicators as privacy icons. Here is what the colors mean:
- Orange dot: an app is using the microphone, or used it recently.
- Green dot: an app is using the camera, or the camera and microphone, or used them recently.
If you’re not using the camera or mic, Apple says to check which app is running. You can review which apps have camera and microphone access in Settings > Privacy & Security.
Battery Icons
- Battery: shows the battery level. Apple says it turns yellow when Low Power Mode is on.
- Battery charging: the battery is charging. Apple says a gray icon means charging is paused.
- Bluetooth battery: shows the battery level of a paired Bluetooth device.
Connection Icons
- Wi-Fi: the fan-shaped icon means you’re online over Wi-Fi.
- Bars: your cell signal strength. Apple says “No Service” appears when there’s no signal. With Dual SIM, the top row is your cellular data line.
- 5G, 5G UC, 5G+, 5G UW, LTE: your carrier’s network type is available.
- SOS only: full service isn’t available, but emergency calls may work through other networks.
- Satellite: satellite features like Emergency SOS and Messages via satellite are available (iPhone 14 and later).
- Wi-Fi Calling: Wi-Fi calling is set up, shown with your carrier name.
- Personal Hotspot, VPN, call forwarding: you’re joined to a hotspot, connected through a VPN, or have call forwarding set up.
Colored Bubble Behind the Time
On iPhone X and later, the time can sit inside a colored bubble that shows an active session:
- Blue: Screen Mirroring is on or an app is using your location.
- Green: you’re on a call or sharing a Personal Hotspot.
- Red: iPhone is recording sound or your screen. See how to screen record on an iPhone.
- Purple: SharePlay is sharing content.
Apple’s list of active-session icons also includes FaceTime, navigation, CarPlay, Siri Eyes Free, and syncing with a computer. Icons lower down on a locked iPhone are a different thing, so see why there is an app icon on your iPhone Lock Screen for those.
Accessibility Icons
Apple says a Voice Control icon means you can control iPhone with your voice (see how to turn Voice Control on or off on iPhone), and a TTY icon means software RTT/TTY or hardware TTY is on. If you want to hide that one, see how to remove the TTY phone icon from the top of the iPhone screen.
How to See More Status Icons
On iPhone X and later, icons appear around the notch, so not all of them fit. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center and see the full set. Apple adds that Control Center also shows the cellular plan labels and carrier names for Dual SIM.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my iPhone battery icon yellow?
Apple says a yellow battery means Low Power Mode is on. See how to turn Low Power Mode on or off.
What does the moon icon mean on iPhone?
Apple says it means Do Not Disturb is turned on. See how to turn on Do Not Disturb on iPhone.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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