Meaning of certain icons in the status bar?

GaryL · Dec 17, 2009

Every now and then I see an unfamiliar icon on the status bar ofthe Droid. I have checked them against the chart in the User's Guide but they are not shown there. If you are familiar with the following, please let me know what they mean:

1. One is a small red dot with a white number in the center.

2. Another sort of looks like a black page with the upper right corner dog-eared and a white check mark in the center and bar under the page.

3. The other is a red triangle with a white exclamation mark in the center.

4. Okay, this last one is hard to describe. It is a black box with what sort of looks like a white padlock in the center, but the padlock is not a solid. Instead, part of it has a white line slanted upwards to the right.

Thanks to all who can explain those status bar icons. One more question. I uploaded an app called "Digital Clock" but I can't get it to do anything. It is stuck on a time and that time never changes. When I tap on the app, some options are there, such as changing the Background Color and Show AM/PM, but no option to set the time. There is an option calle "Click Menu for Instructions" but it is faded out and nothing happens when I tap on it once, twice, etc.

Ooops, one more question. I know how to change the background of the home page. But what about the gray background that appears under all the app icons when you slide your finger up from the bottom of the home page. Can that be changed?

Thanks.

pinesal · Dec 17, 2009

GaryL said: ↑

Every now and then I see an unfamiliar icon on the status bar ofthe Droid. I have checked them against the chart in the User's Guide but they are not shown there. If you are familiar with the following, please let me know what they mean:

1. One is a small red dot with a white number in the center.

This means there are a lot of notifications and it just a count of how many.

2. Another sort of looks like a black page with the upper right corner dog-eared and a white check mark in the center and bar under the page.

Not sure, maybe this is when an app is installed successfully.

3. The other is a red triangle with a white exclamation mark in the center.

Something didn't download or upload. If you pull down the notification bar and touch it it should tell you what's wrong.

4. Okay, this last one is hard to describe. It is a black box with what sort of looks like a white padlock in the center, but the padlock is not a solid. Instead, part of it has a white line slanted upwards to the right.

No idea, maybe a pic would help.

Thanks to all who can explain those status bar icons. One more question. I uploaded an app called "Digital Clock" but I can't get it to do anything. It is stuck on a time and that time never changes. When I tap on the app, some options are there, such as changing the Background Color and Show AM/PM, but no option to set the time. There is an option calle "Click Menu for Instructions" but it is faded out and nothing happens when I tap on it once, twice, etc.

You mean you downloaded an app. Maybe it's not compatable with droid. Send an e-mail to the developer.

Ooops, one more question. I know how to change the background of the home page. But what about the gray background that appears under all the app icons when you slide your finger up from the bottom of the home page. Can that be changed?

No not until Android 2.0 themes come out and even then you will need a rooted phone.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Hope I helped at least a little.

Gunner · Dec 17, 2009

2. I believe that's the App Installed icon (after you just installed a new app)

4. I believe that's the Updates Available icon (for apps you have installed)

vincentp · Dec 17, 2009

I'll do my best. I may get one or two wrong. I'm sorry if I do.

1. One is a small red dot with a white number in the center.
Click to expand...

This is just how many total notifications you have, I believe.

2. Another sort of looks like a black page with the upper right corner dog-eared and a white check mark in the center and bar under the page.
Click to expand...

That one should be "App successfully installed".

3. The other is a red triangle with a white exclamation mark in the center.
Click to expand...

Do you have Weatherbug? It uses that icon for weather alerts.

4. Okay, this last one is hard to describe. It is a black box with what sort of looks like a white padlock in the center, but the padlock is not a solid. Instead, part of it has a white line slanted upwards to the right.
Click to expand...

This means there are updates available for apps you have installed on the Market.

Thanks to all who can explain those status bar icons. One more question. I uploaded an app called "Digital Clock" but I can't get it to do anything. It is stuck on a time and that time never changes. When I tap on the app, some options are there, such as changing the Background Color and Show AM/PM, but no option to set the time. There is an option calle "Click Menu for Instructions" but it is faded out and nothing happens when I tap on it once, twice, etc.
Click to expand...

Sounds like this app just isn't functioning properly. I don't think you're doing anything wrong. Try some other clock widgets, they should work. If you don't mind paying a few bucks, Weather Widgets Donate is very nice and skinnable.

But what about the gray background that appears under all the app icons when you slide your finger up from the bottom of the home page. Can that be changed?
Click to expand...

If you have a homescreen replacement app that supports themes, it may indeed change this, but without root access you can't change that background right now.

Do you know that you can pull down the notification bar? Just click and pull down on the bar itself and it will show you all of those notifications individually and what they mean. You can then click on them to go directly to their relative app or location, or you can just hit the clear button to rid yourself of them. You can also get to notifications from the home screen by hitting the Menu Key > Notifications (I think, haven't used the default homescreen in a while). Hope this helps.

GaryL · Dec 17, 2009

Wow, this is a great message board for getting help. I did not know about the Notifications thing. I kept looking in the User Manual for something along the likes of Updates but only found something for updating the Droid's OS.

As for the red triangle, yep, it's a Weather Bug notice. I live near New Orleans and we have been getting incredible amounts of record setting rain for the last seven days, except for yesterday when some big shiny thing appeared up in the sky. Oh, right, that sun thing. Hasn't been around much lately.

I'm going to remove the Digital Clock app since I just can't get it to work.

Thanks again for each and every response.

Gary

GaryL · Dec 17, 2009

When I did the pull down of the Notifications, it showed some of the icons that were up in the status bar. The one that looks like a lock is for "Updates Available." The icon that looks like a page with a dog eared upper right corner and a check mark in the center is for "Christmas Ringtones," an app I installed a couple of days ago. And the red triangle is indeed a Weather Bug alert.

Thanks again.

Requiem87 · Jul 8, 2010

Hi. I have a similar problem on my Experia X10 mini. Anyone know what this padlock symbol means?

dazzer_man · Jan 29, 2011

It's not in the handbook. It has two symbols above and below a forward slash. Above is what looks like a right facing flag on a pole and below is what looks like a mishapen circle (an apple?).

Anyone know what this means?

crcruzsatx · Apr 19, 2011

Requiem87 What is the icon with a bubble and tape for,on the bottom of your ph and first left icon?

tyro092 · Aug 8, 2011

I had #2 on my Droid x2 and it turns on and off when I use my alarm clock.

KevInKauai · Nov 25, 2011

In answer to "Requiem87" (above), I would suspect that any time your see a padlock or lock icon, it probably means that the device is locked (or password protected).

NOW MY (hopefully) RELATED QUERY: I've just switched to my first Android mobile: an Optimus V (from VirginMobileUSA as I wanted to free myself from silly Verizon contracts -- after 10 years!). I've searched through the PDF of the manual (where the icons are much more readable than the printed version -- especially if you view the PDF at 125% or more) and I'm unable to find one that popped up today for the first time (and I've had the mobile for a month at this point). The (apparently undocumented) ICON is a red square with a standard-looking binary ON/OFF circle switch.

When I do "the slide down" to reveal the "concerns" I see the same symbol attached to a message "Click here to activate". (As I mentioned, I've been with this mobile with one month and this morning it was time to re-up and pay my monthly fee. I did this online only my computer , so I am guessing that this may be some "special" Icon that VirginMobileUSA is using to do with "Activation".

LATE UPDATE: Turns out that I apparently interrupted a transaction and the answer when I reached VMU support was to remove the battery, count to 5 and restart the phone. That got rid of the undocumented icon.

CurtX · Dec 19, 2011

Maybe such a thing already exists, but it would be nice to have an app widget that lists and explains every icon currently appearing in your status bar. Pulling down the notification/status bar does this only with some notification icons, but not for every status icon. It would be nice to have something be more all inclusive for any possible icon. It's bad enough that they are so small that sometimes it is difficult to see and differentiate them. But not knowing what most of them do (without memorizing the manual) makes them even more useless sometimes.

Someone let me know if there is such an widget or app that does this. I couldn't find one.

saimathur · Dec 30, 2011

Hi guys!!
I bought my self a HTC Explorer. It comes with the new Shortcuts and Clock Widget on my homescreen. Problem is i every time accidentally remove it(by pressing and holding the screen accidentally.. touch is really smooth.. i do it unknowingly)
Is there any solution that i can use to stop from deleting did widget from home screen??

Please help guys.. i am new to droids.. and am an amateur.

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