Samsung Galaxy S5 Guide

Meaning of the notification icons on Samsung Galaxy S5

Why should you understand the meaning of notification icons on your Samsung Galaxy S5?

Understanding the meaning of notification icons in your Galaxy S5 can help you solve (at least understand) some problems you may have. It also lets you know the status of  your Galaxy S5 better.

Please note, in different regions, or for different Galaxy S5  model numbers (usually for different carriers), the notification icons  and their meaning may be slightly different. The notification icons listed here are more or less generic for all regions.

Where can I find the notification icons on Samsung Galaxy S5?

Just like any other Android smartphones, all notification icons in Galaxy S5 are in the status bar in the top of the screen.

Since Android 4.4 (KitKat), the status  bar is transparent, not a black strip as in older versions. So, sometimes, the visibility may be affected by your wallpaper.

When in full screen mode, the status bar may be hidden for some apps. Under this scenario, you can always swipe down from the top of the screen to get the status bar.

The meaning of  notification icons on Samsung Galaxy S5?

Here is the list of most-commonly encountered notification icons and their meaning.

Icon Meaning
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_no_signal_no_mobile_network No mobile network. You will see this notification icon only when your Galaxy S5 cannot connect to any mobile networks. You should check with your carrier on the coverage of the network. You can not use voice and mobile data. But you should be able to use WiFi and many other functions when you get this notification icon.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_signal_strength Mobile network signal strength. This notification icon shows you how good the mobile network signal is. More bars simply mean stronger signal, and therefore, it is unlikely the connection may drop. When 3G or 4G network is used, stronger signal also usually makes your mobile data connection more reliable.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_roaming Roaming. You are not in your carrier’s own mobile network. This usually means higher cost for voice and data. So, when you see this notification icon, it is better to check the roaming rate before using any services.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_gprs_network_connection GPRS network connected. GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) is probably the slowest mobile data connection. You should avoid downloading large files when you see this notification icon in your Galaxy S5, because it will be frustratingly slow.If you consistently see this icon, you may check with your carrier to verify whether 3G, HSPA, HSPA+ or LTE is covered in your area.

Occasionally, you may see this notification icon on your S5 and get slow speed because of wrong APN (access point name) settings. Most carriers use different APNs for various plans. Check with your carrier to rectify.

When data are transmitted, the arrows in the notification icon will flash or show different colors.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_EDGE_network_connection EDGE network connected. EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) is often faster than GPRS. But it is still too slow for downloading files.Again, if you always see this notification icon on your Galaxy S5, you’d better check with the mobile company on their 3G and 4G network coverage.

When data are transmitted, the arrows in the notification icon will flash or show different colors.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_3G_network_connection 3G network connected. For different carriers, this notification icon in Galaxy S5 can mean different things. This icon usually means your Galaxy S5 is connected to a 3G network. If it is a HSPA or HSPA+ network, in most regions, different notification icons (see below) will be shown.The typical 3G speed is a few hundreds Kilo bits per second. You may browse website, download email attachments, use instant messaging. It usually is not fast enough to download movies or watch online video streaming.When data are transmitted, the arrows in the notification icon will flash or show different colors.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_HSPA_network_connection HSPA network connected. HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) is considered as mobile “broadband”. The typical speed is about a few Mbits per second. In some regions, it is stated as 3.5G network. In a few regions, it is just called 4G. When you see this notification icon, you can use your Galaxy S5 for most online activities, including watching online videos.When data are transmitted, the arrows in the notification icon will flash or show different colors.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_HSPA_plus_network_connection HSPA+ network connected. HSPA+ (Evolved HSPA) is usually the fastest 3G data connection you can get. In some regions, it is named as 3.75G or 4G.The typical speed of HSPA+ network is about 10-20 Mbits per second.

When data are transmitted, the arrows in the notification icon will flash or show different colors.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_US_3G_HSPA_HSPA_plus__network_connection 4G network connected.  This notification icon is confusing, because it is actually NOT 4G LTE.The notification icon indicates your Galaxy S5 is connected to a network that can be anything from 3G to HSPA+, but definitely NOT 4G LTE. 

This notification icon is used in some regions to differentiate 3G (including HSPA, HSPA+) and 4G LTE.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_US_3G_HSPA_HSPA_plus__network_connection_in_use 4G network is transmitting data. Again, this 4G means anything from 3G to HSPA+, except 4G LTE.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_4G_LTE_network_connection 4G LTE network connected. LTE (Long-Term Evolution) is usually called 4G in  most regions. When you see this notification icon in your Galaxy S5, you know your S5 is on the fastest mobile network available today.Of course, there is a even faster LTE+ in some regions, but Galaxy S5 does not have a special notification icon for it.

Unlike 3G, HSPA, and HSPA+, the frequency of 4G LTE in different regions (and different carriers) differs dramatically. When you travel to other regions, you may find out your Galaxy S5 is limited to 3G or HSPA or HSPA+ network. This is normal because the radio frequency used in that region may be not activated in your Galaxy S5.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_4G_LTE_network_connection_in_use Data transmitting through 4G LTE.  In some regions, the notification icon is different. In these regions, there are two arrows below 4G in the icon to indicating data transmitting.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_flight_mode_airplane_mode Airplane mode (flight mode) activated. Once you see this notification icon, you cannot send or receive calls. You cannot send or receive sms. You cannot use mobile data.However, it is possible to manually enable WiFi and Bluetooth after they are disabled.

By default, when you enable airplane mode (flight mode), all radios are turned off, including WiFi and Bluetooth. If you know it is allowed to use WiFi or Bluetooth in that location, you can manually enable them although the notification icon is still shown there.

But you cannot enable mobile data as long as you have this notification icon.  If mobile data is enabled, this notification icon should disappear.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_no_sim_card_detected SIM card missing. Your Galaxy S5 will show this notification icon if it fails to detect any SIM card inside. Without SIM card, you can still use a lot of functions in Galaxy S5. To save battery on SIM card detection, it is a good practice to enter flight mode (airplane mode) if you plan to use Galaxy S5 without SIM card.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_new_sms_mms New text message or multi-media message. You will see this notification icon when new messages arrive. In the notification area, you can tap the message to preview or go to the messaging app.In Samsung Galaxy S5, you can choose default messaging app. If you choose other apps, e.g., Hangouts, as the default messaging app, the notification icon for new messages will be Hangouts icon (see below).
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_new_gmail New GMail messages. This notification icon is from GMail app.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_new_email New email message. This notification icon is from EMail app in Galaxy S5.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_new_voice_mail New voice mail messages. You need check with your carrier on how to manage your voice mail box.By default, in the dial keypad, long tapping “1” will connect you to your voice mail box if it is configured by your carrier.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_wifi_connected WiFi activated connected. This notification icon indicates WiFi connection is activated and your Galaxy S5 is successfully connected to a access point.When data are transmitted, the arrows in the notification icon will flash or show different colors.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_wifi_not_connected WiFi activated, but not connected. This notification icon suggests there are some WiFi networks in range, but your Galaxy S5 is not connected to any of them. Normally, these networks (access points) are new to your Galaxy S5, or you chose not to remember password when you connected to them last time.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_wifi_direct_in_use WiFi Direct is activated. The notification icon indicates your Galaxy S5 is now connected to other device through WiFi Direct. WiFi Direct in Galaxy S5 offers quick way to transfer files between devices.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_wifi_portable_hotspot Portable WiFi hotspot enabled. You will see this notification icon if you configure your Galaxy S5 as a portable WiFi hotspot. This means you are sharing your mobile data with other devices through WiFi.Some carriers may block this feature.
 galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_download_booster  Download booster enabled.  With download booster, you can combine your 4G LTE connection and WiFi connection to download a single file. This of course means faster downloading. For more details, you may read this page on download booster in Galaxy S5.The arrows in the notification icon will show different colors or flash when data are transmitted  through download booster.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_bluetooth_activated Bluetooth enabled, but not paired.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_bluetooth_paired Bluetooth enabled and paired with other devices or accessories.
 galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_screen_mirroring Screen mirroring enabled. This notification icon indicates you are sharing your Galaxy S5 screen with other big screens wirelessly.For more details on screen mirroring, and Chromecast, you may check this post.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_download Downloading or downloaded. This notification icon reminds you there are one or more downloading jobs. If the downloading is in progress, the arrow is usually animated downwards. In some regions, the color may also change. Once the files are downloaded, you can tap the notification to open the file.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_upwnload Uploading or uploaded. This notification icon is for uploading, i.e., when you upload files from your phone to the internet.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_sync_in_progress Data synchronization in progress.  The sync notification icon is for all sync jobs, including  email, gmail, photos, contacts, calendar. Once the sync is done, the notification icon will disappear automatically.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_usb_connection_pc USB connection with PC established. You will see this notification icon when Galaxy S5 is connected to PC with the USB cable.Please note, Galaxy S5 supports USB 3.0 for faster file transfer. However, the USB cable in the box is for Micro  USB 2.0 only. So, if you want to use USB 3.0 on Galaxy S5, you have to get a USB 3.0 cable.

If you use an USB 3.0 cable and connect Galaxy S5 to the USB 3.0 ports on the PC, you can then change the connection as 3.0 in the phone. This will normally improve the transfer speed significantly. In this scenario, the notification icon will be slight different in your Galaxy S5 with an additional 3.0 label to this icon.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_usb_tether_pc Tethered through USB connection. This notification icon is displayed when Galaxy S5 is tethered via a supported USB cable connection. You can share your mobile data connection with PCs in this way.Please note, some carriers may block this feature.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_NFC_activated NFC enabled. NFC (near field communication) provides a  fast way to share small files. By tapping two NFC enabled devices, you can quickly share some files. The notification icon is shown whenever NFC is activated on your Galaxy S5.For larger files, WiFi direct usually is a better option.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_location_service_acquiring_signal_gps Location service (GPS) enabled. When this notification icon is shown, it means some apps are requesting location info, which is usually provided by GPS. You can globally turn off location service if you don’t want to use it.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_blocking_mode Blocking mode enabled. In blocking mode, your Galaxy S5 is connected to mobile network and functions as usual except that it rejecting all incoming calls. The caller will get a busy tone in most mobile networks. If you disable the blocking mode, this notification icon will disappear and you are accepting incoming calls.You can create an allowed contact list so that incoming calls from these people will reach you.When in blocking mode, you can make calls and you will receive all messages as usual. But some notifications will be disabled.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_call_in_progress Call in progress. When you are in a call, you will see this notification icon.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_call_on_hold Call on hold. This notification icon tells you there is call on hold.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_call_forwarding_activated Call forwarding enabled. You will get this notification icon when you choose to always forward all calls to other number or to voicemail.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_missed_call Missed call. The notification icon tells you there are one or more missed calls. You can check the call log or notification area to see the number.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_muted_call Call muted. If you tap the mute button again, it will be unmuted and the notification icon will disappear.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_sound_muted Silent mode (or mute mode) activated. Under Settings–Sound mode, you have 3 different modes: sound, mute (silent) and vibrate. This notification icon indicates it is under mute (silent) mode. The phone will neither ring nor vibrate for incoming calls and notifications.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_vibrate_mode_activated Vibrate mode activated.  See explanation of notification icon for silent mode.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_speakerphone_in_use Speakerphone is on.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_battery_capacity_level_full Battery full.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_battery_capacity_level Battery level indicator. You can enable battery percentage (Setting–battery)  so that you can read the exact percentage of the battery juice left.  The notification icon may change to full or charging..
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_battery_capacity_critically_low Battery level critically low. When you battery has less than 5% capacity left, this notification icon will shown. Galaxy S5 will automatically adjust some settings, for example, the brightness of screen will be automatically dimmed and you cannot  adjust it.When you see this notification icon, you should charge your phone as early as possible. It may shorten the lifespan of the battery if you often drain battery to this level before charging.Of course, when seeing this notification icon, you can turn on ultra power saving mode to save battery life if you cannot find a charger soon.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_battery_being_charged Battery being charged. It is a good practice to let the battery fully charged before unplug the charger.When you connect your Galaxy S5 to PC through USB cable, you will also see this notification icon. However, charging through PC is usually far slower than from the bundled charger. If you are using the USB 2.0 port in your PC, sometimes you may notice that the battery percentage is decreasing. This is due to insufficient current of most USB 2.0 ports, especially those in notebooks.Please note, the USB 2.0 cable provided by Samsung is NOT an issue for charging. In other words, for charging, it is not necessary to buy an USB 3.0 cable. However, if you want to benefit from fast file transfer Galaxy S5 provides, you should buy an USB 3.0 cable if your PC supports USB 3.0.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_calendar_event Calendar event. You will see this notification icon if there is a new calendar event. Tap the notification and you will get the details of the event.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_alarm_activated Alarm activated. Please note alarm will NOT work if you shutdown your Galaxy S5.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_screenshot_saved Screenshot saved. Once a screenshot is taken, you will see this notification icon. The screenshot will be automatically saved to pictures/screenshots in the internal storage.If you want to know how to take screenshot on Galaxy S5 without using any apps, you may check this guide.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_smart_stay_activated Smart Stay activated.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_security_warning Security warning.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_tty_device_inserted TTY device inserted.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_system_error Emergency Alert. When you see this notification icon, you should check the notification message. It usually indicates a system error.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_keyboard_keypad_active Keyboard/keypad is active.
galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_media_streaming_samsung_link Connected to other devices. This notification icon displays when Galaxy S5 is connected being used to control streaming media and is connected to a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) certified device using the Samsung Link application.
 galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_private_mode_activated Private mode activated. To learn more on private mode and finger scanner, please check this page.
 galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_play_store_update App updates available. This notification icon is from Google Play store app.
 galaxy_s5_notification_icons_meaning_play_store_download App installed or updated. This notification icon is from Google Play store app. You should get notifications on apps installed or updated.
 galaxy_s5-notification_icons-hangout New Hangouts notification. If you choose Hangouts as the default messaging app, this notification icon may also indicates new SMS or new MMS, in addition to other Hangouts notifications.

My Galaxy 5 shows some notification icons  that are not shown here, what do they mean?

If the notification is on the left side of the status bar, it is usually from third-party apps.

Very often, there is also a notification in the notification area when such notification icons are displayed. Long tap the notification until App info pops out. You can tap the app info to find out the app that shows the notification icon.

Do you have any questions on the meaning of notification icons  on Samsung Galaxy S5?

If you have any questions on the meaning of notification icons on Samsung Galaxy S5, please let us know it in the comment box below.

More how-to guides , tips and tricks for using Samsung Galaxy S5 are available at Samsung Galaxy S5 how-to guides page.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. eli kramer says

    What does a picture of a lock with a triangle on its lower right indicate on the upper left hand corner of the S5?

    Reply

  6. Blake says

    Hi the icons on my notifications panel appear duplicated including time and battery and also seem to show all icons even when not relevant . This only occurs on home page. Can you help?

    Reply

  7. jeffrey says

    hey i wanted to know if you can disable the feature that shows a number icon on the top left of your app?

    Reply

  8. Barbara says

    I found a place on my phone where I could put notifications on hold from pm to am. I cannot find it now. could you please help me.

    Reply

  10. Stromyus says

    Small question? What is the icon with big letter N, and small icon like wireless in bottom left corner of letter N?

    Reply

  12. sheldon says

    How do I show notifications on the lock screen for example if I get a new text, it doesn’t say that I have a new message other than the notification bar at the top

    Reply

  13. Veronica says

    Like one of the people above I also have the letter N with a blue icon like wireless. Having no problems with the phone . Advice please

    Reply

    • Reid says

      I had the same Icon displayed on my S5, I found it in “setting” – “NFC” – turned “On”; “Allow data exchange when touches another device” Turn it “off” and the Icon disapprears.

      Reply

  14. Jen says

    I JUST got my S5 today (I broke my S3). I turned off mobile network but I still see 4gLTE faintly. Does that mean its on and using data? the 4glte icon would disappear on my s3 when it was off but it seems almost permanent on the S5. I just want to make sure its off and not using data/power since I’m on a 2 gig plan.

    Reply

  15. Lisa Floch says

    Always getting a roaming notification alert, looks like an explanation point inside a triangle.Plz help I’m not roaming and this notification will not disappear no matter what I do.Thanks.

    Reply

  16. Lisa Floch says

    It would say roaming notification and when I click and hold it down up comes app info then this whole page of force stop, clear data and clear cache etc comes up and I do not know what all that means.I’m afraid to press anything because I do not want to lose all my info, pics, and music.

    Reply

  18. Amber says

    Mine has the message circle with what looks like outgoing bars. When I pull the menu down it says message+ connected over wifi. What does this mean?

    Reply

  19. Lisa Floch says

    When I hold in the roaming notification, app info appears then it says allow access data, the deny a cess data is already on then I click cancel and it goes right back to where it was, if I hold in the notification the force stop, clear data, clear cache pa comes up, so confused.

    Reply

  21. Lisa Floch says

    After I hold in the roaming notification app info comes up and then right under it it says phone version #, a green box with a pic of a phone in it

    Reply

  23. Shaz says

    Hello…I got a problem with S5…and i’m sorry for putting it here

    I’ve put my micro sim inside s5…and using it for a week and more but then this morning..there is a sim icon with red x mark on it and my phone cant detect the sim as it says in notification…cant call out or in..cant use data…cant sms, mms or anything..but the signal still showing full bar.

    I did try to change the sim to other phone and it works very well indeed, no problem what so ever, and other sim to s5 too
    Just the problem with the sim from same service provider.

    Reply

  26. Ashley linnet says

    When I plug my s5 in to charge it shows a battery with a red caution triangle and a thermometer. What does this mean?

    Reply

  27. joann says

    I have one contact that cannot call me everytime he calls me it goes right to voicemail and it shows a weird symbol that I’ve never seen for the incoming callI don’t have any kind of block on his number or any blocking is on on my phone but I don’t know why he’s the only one that can’t call me

    Reply

  29. Rick says

    What does a hand icon between 2 brackets on either side on the the top of the phone on the indicator bar

    Reply

  30. Roland says

    can’t make calls ,i get this message Normal call denied because domain specific access control is on.What does this mean and where do i change this.

    Reply

  33. Trey says

    My S5 shows a new icon on the left side of the notification bar. The icon is shaped like a battery overlayed by the triangular arrows of a recycle label. Any thoughts?

    Reply

  34. Heather flynn says

    Hi. Ok if you MISSED a phone call and have voice mail and you get left a voice mail, on the very top is a mail icon cause I got a message I missed a call and they left me a message. Then I have the box with like a tape in it for the voice mail and the missed call icon. I get that that’s all good. What’s driving me nuts is after I listen to the voice mail, see the message that I missed the call and they left me a message, on the green telephone icon itself, there is a red 1. I’ve scrolled through my call logs, tapped on every one but this damn “1” is still on my phone icon on my desktop. I erased the message left for me. HOW DO I GET RID OF THE NUMBER IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF MY PHONE DESKTOP PHONE ICON?!!!? This is driving me nuts!! I do it once but don’t know what I did and have no clue what to do again. PLEASE HELP ME!!!

    Reply

  37. sam says

    What does wifi type symbol with a large capital N next to it mean? Cant find any info. Its on my S5 thanks Sam

    Reply

  38. Rachel says

    The phone did an update this morning that made extra icons appear at the top of the phone, how can I get rid of the stupid power saving mode icon? I want power saving mode on because when i go to sleep at night even with a full battery I wake up to a dead phone, every time. I read all sorts of reviews before I bought my s5 as it is supposed to have the “best” battery life, yet I have been sorely disappointed in that department as I have to keep power save mode on at all times just to make it through a day.

    Reply

  39. David says

    I have got a circle with a n/a in it. it is located at the top left corner. What and why does it come up?
    thanks.

    Reply

  40. David says

    The phone works well worth internet. So I don’t think it is in block mode. No sure if it is to do with other apps. Thanks for your comment anyway.

    Reply

  41. Kelly says

    I have a S5 and when I would receive a text message a small number would appear in the top left hand corner of the message icon. That no longer happens. Anyone know how to fix this?

    Reply

  43. Valerie says

    It was when I had multiple messages&symbols all across top, thinking it meant more text messages, the plus+sign &arrow intending for me to see that I had more texts possibly- no other odd app came up when I did the drag-down from top…

    Reply

  44. ally says

    What does the hand between this mean it keeps popping up when I’m trying to upload pictures to Facebook. Then the screen goes black and won’t let me upload more than one picture at a time

    Reply

  45. Martin says

    A new icon next to the WiFi activated connected suddenly appeared. It is a capital N but on the lower left side are 3 quarter circles ie like a wifi symbol & I am not sure why it is showing. My default home page on the internet is BBC & I thought that may be it was something to do with that as it was down for the last few days. But it is up & running now & the icon is still there. The N icon only shows when I connect my phone to my wifi at home. The phone says its connected to the wifi (message re the same) & indeed the wifi direct symbol is on with the arows flickering away. It also stays on even though I am right next to the wifi. I have had the phone for 2 months or so & it never used to show this symbol. The wifi at home has not changed & works normally with all other devices. Thanks

    Reply

  46. debby m says

    Notifications .. once a notification has been dismissed arethese notification messages still stored? If so where? Are they hidden files snd are they searchable for digital forensics files & recoverable with digital forensics tools?

    Reply

  47. Anthea says

    I’ve just made the switch from Apple to Samsung, so please excuse my ignorance – but I have a few icons in the top left corner. They include: An arrow pointing left with a + sign inside it, a square with an S inside it, x4 icons that look like mobile devices with arrows pointing up and down, and x2 briefcases with ticks inside them.
    Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks

    Reply

  48. frustrated says

    On my wife’s s5, when the internet browser is open, there is a number in the top right corner. Tapping on this shows its like multiple open browser windows. Trying the small circled ‘-‘ sign gives us the message ‘sorry, the internet is not working’. How can I close those and get rid of the 28 open windows?

    Reply

  49. kelly1874 says

    I am a new Galaxy S5 user (3 days). Someone has sent me a text (she has a Galaxy S3 Mini) with a picture attached. I cannot view the picture. I get a grey square that has a smaller grey square in the middle of it that looks like two grey mountain tops. Superimposed on the righthand corner of that smaller grey middle square is a red triangle with a white exclamation point in it. Please help me understand what settings I have wrong (or she has wrong). I have wi-fi at home but have tried receiving this with wi-fi turned on and with 4G enable instead. Any thoughts?

    Reply

  51. kelly1874 says

    actually the picture has been sent over and over again. It is not corrupted. It can be viewed by others on their devices. It is something in my settings that requires me to be able to see the picture only by 1) sharing it with myself in an email and then 2) downloading and 3) previewing it. Very convoluted. It’s definitely not the picture, but my device

    Reply

  52. kelly1874 says

    I did tap and hold and that’s where the option came up to “share.” I shared via email (to myself) and when I got that email I had the choice of downloading and previewing, at which time I could then view the picture in my gallery. However, when I texted it back to someone, it still showed up in MY text thread with the strange symbols, BUT the person receiving it could see it (she was the one who sent it to me). It is very odd and frustrating. Do you work for Samsung? Am I getting a response from someone who works for the company and might be able to identify this issue? I appreciate your taking the time to answer, but if you are a user like me, and not one of the Samsung people, then I’m hoping there is something the company can tell me that will resolve the problem.

    Reply

  53. kelly1874 says

    Oh that’s good to know. Thank you for your willingness to take a stab at it at least. It really has me flummoxed!

    Reply

  54. David says

    What does it mean when the message icon (looks like an envelope) has an X at the bottom right corner of the icon(envelope)?

    Reply

  57. Robin says

    With an iphone, in settings, when you were connected to wifi it would have a check mark by it. How do I know I’m connected on the Galaxy s5 Active?

    Reply

  59. Dan says

    what are two small arrows next to each other pointing in different directions and a small clock looking symbols, and in my notifications window it say device management…..new update postponed.

    this all happened after my phone seemed to freak out for a second and then turned off….now this notification and those symbols

    Reply

  61. Judee says

    In the lower right corner of my lock screen, there is a circle with what appears to be the face of a camera and above the circle are two arrows that flash up. What is this????

    Reply

  64. Eric S. Young says

    I have an icon at the top left corner of my Samsung Galaxy S5 that I can’t figure out what it means. Third party, but which one? It looks like a shield with an arrow curling up from the bottom right corner. Thank you for any help.

    Reply

  65. Eric S. Young says

    OK I found it. It is called “Support & Protection” and it looks like it is running. Should I let it continue to run or should I turn it off? Thanks

    Reply

  67. Eric S. Young says

    My Samsung Galaxy S5 now is displaying the following message when I try to check my email:
    “Update Google Play services. This app won’t run unless you update Google Play services.”

    How do I do that? Thanks

    Reply

  68. Eric S. Young says

    Unfortunately I had previously deleted (uninstalled) that app. I have solved the issue so far by deleting the gmail app then reinstalling it. The message has since disappeared. Thank you.

    Reply

  70. Jake says

    In the status line, what’s the shield with an up arrow going up from the lower right side. It’s not listed in the icons list.

    Reply

  73. Nicola says

    Is there a way to have the date displayed here? I hate that it has the time, but not the date. The only way to see the date is to bring down the notification centre or check when the phone is locked.

    Reply

  76. Karen says

    Hi Just noticed on my Locked Screen a symbol what seems to be a shoe with a circle around it and 2 dashes at the side what does this do/mean?

    Reply

  77. Kim Sober says

    My son did a screenshot on his phone so I can’t click on the icons to see what they are for. One is a box with “id” on top corner and the other is a white square with what looks like an antenna in it and motion symbols on each side ((( ))) and a number 1 in the top corner?

    Reply

  78. George says

    There is an icon embedded in the phone Favorites section of Samsung s5 that appears to be forming the hands of a clock with one hand pointed towards 2 p.m. and the other at 4 p.m. Each “hand” has a bullet at the end opposite the center and joined by a bullet where the two “hands” meet in the center. Google Images sometimes shows this icon but without description. Anyone know what I am referring to?

    Reply

  79. Sarah says

    I have an icon that says LTE and then has a sun looking icon after it (circle with triangles around it) it spins around sometimes and other times the LTE and sun fade. What is that for?

    Reply

  80. amanda says

    I have a white box with a pointed suppose on the left with a black plus sign in it. I’ve been trying to figure or out for hours.

    Reply

  82. Snehal says

    What does the below symbol mean —
    4G LTE with a cross across 4G.
    I recently upgraded my S5 to Android lollipop since then the 4G LTE icon is appearing with a cross across 4G.
    The cross never appeared earlier.

    Reply

  83. Al says

    My S5 has a percentage icon on the screen apart from the battery indicator icon. I know that the battery icon is at far right corner above but this small percentage icon is below & can be drag in any area of the screen. Right now my battery indicates 93% & the other one is 82% (circled) . What is that percentage indicator denote? Thanks

    Reply

  84. Elaina says

    I had a phone icon similar to the device connected to another device, but I had an arrow pointing up. What could that be?

    Reply

  86. Jenny Polega says

    I don’t see my upload/download notification bar. Is there something I could have accidentally turned off to make this happen? I have been having issues sending videos to FaceBook, and can’t even tell if they are trying to be uploaded from my phone. 🙁

    Reply

  88. Numenor says

    On my S5 I have a waving (or shaking) hand icon in the right side of the notification bar, just left of the Bluetooth icon; I keep deactivated Air View, Air Gesture and the camera stabilizer. I’ve never seen this icon untill recently: I think that it came up after updating Android to 5.0.
    Any Idea?

    Reply

  90. Kayleigh says

    What is the wifi with a phone underneath it symbol on the side with my battery n time symbol on it ive never seen it before

    Reply

  91. vikki says

    Wondering if you can help, I have had my s5 for a good few months now and today a new notification has appeared. It is on the right hand side next to my wifi sign, it is the wifi sign again but with an upside down phone at the bottom, do you have any idea what this is for? I haven’t don’t anything different on my phone. Thanks

    Reply

  92. Toby says

    I have a new icon in the top right of my notification bar and nobody from my service provider tech support know what it is or how to get rid of it, its a handset on its back (with the ear and mouth piece facing up) with the wifi symbol coming out from its centre, does anybody know what this means and how to get rid of it in case it’s using data or battery ?

    Reply

  94. Tim Fix says

    On the top bar I have a tag with a plus sign inside, I also have 3 yellow balls with blue hats and a red dot with an exclamation inside each.???
    Timcfix

    Reply

  95. Collette says

    Can someone explain to me what the star between my blue tooth emblem and my alram clock emblem means.

    Reply

  96. Jill Hickstein says

    I have been getting a new icon just above my service bars that is a little house and what looks like the wifi signal. This is new and I have no idea what it is indicating??

    Reply

  97. alex says

    There is an icon that appears when i connect to wifi. The initial wifi icon shows but then a second icon appears next to it. It resembles a sideways phone symbol with wifi “lines” extending from it. I’m sorry if this is a little vague but i don’t know how else to describe it!

    Reply

  98. rowena says

    Hi
    I have an icon which looks like full signal with a upside down phone below it. What is this and how do I get rid of it?

    Reply

  99. RichardCook says

    I think the “upside down phone” icon being mentioned is unique to EE network and is the “Wi-Fi Calling” symbol. Which basically means that calls will be made via wifi (when available) rather than mobile data network.
    It can be turned off in the setting menu, look for Wi-Fi Calling”.

    Reply

  100. elisa says

    my galaxy s5 is not charging its off and when i insert the charger the battery with lighting symbol shows but the turns off and a battery with a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark shows

    Reply

  101. AJ says

    hi ive just updates my s5 to lollypop and now have a new icon on the notification bar its an upturned phone with what looks like wifi lines coming from it.
    does anyone know what this is?

    Reply

  102. Vixenleigh says

    What does a start mean? It’s right between the Bluetooth and the alarm icon then there is the LTE icon

    Reply

  103. Steve says

    I have an icon to the left of the wifi icon. Its the phone symbol lying horizontally with waves (symilar to the wifi symbol) coming from the middle of the phone. Its definately not the speaker phone icon.

    Reply

  104. tony klik says

    Hi. Just updated S5 to android loolipop and when i take a full sceen capture (swipe ŕight to left) of a photo in google browser the status bar is in every photo. This didn’t happen in kitkat so any suggestions would be much appreciated.
    Thanks.

    Reply

  106. Amelia says

    What does it mean when the is a running shoe and a person running in a little white cicle that is beside the woRd Paused

    Reply

  107. Ami Dede says

    i just noticed and owl looking pair of eyes /stestoscope on the right upper corner of my phone.What could this be!

    Reply

  108. Joann says

    I have two things that look like little suitcases with a check mark in each one up in the lefthand corner. I’m new to this phone can someone please help me? Thanks

    Reply

  109. Mari says

    I have a phone facing up with what appears to show full strength bars above it and then a red line through it. I can still make and receive calls and the icon remains at the top.

    Reply

  110. Techy Blogger says

    I couldn’t find an icon that is with a 3 period and 3 bars horizontal color orange. I could not understand what is that icon all about. and I could not find it as well in google. I wish I can attach the screen shot.

    Reply

  113. Aris says

    I just installed a system update a week ago and ever since then there’s been an icon in the top right, between the wifi icon and the volume icon. It’s two arrows lying horizontally on top of each other facing opposite directions (one left one right).
    There’s no apps running that it could be, I’ve had no trouble with wifi, mobile signal or anything, it’s just there.

    Reply

  117. Kandy says

    What does an icon that looks like a TV antenna mean it has a circle inside a circle and at the bottom a thicker black line goes down to a black base

    Reply

  118. Mary says

    I get an alert triangle with ! Next to many of my text messages but cannot find an alert message or explanation anywhere. The messages say. Sent and my recipients usually do get the mssg and can usually reply to me. Why do I keep getting the icon next to the text?

    Reply

  120. Naneesh powell says

    I have a galaxy s6 and there is a circle icon with a + in the middle it’s top right hand corner beside by Bluetooth icon why does it mean

    Reply

  122. Monique Batchelder says

    Hello, what is the icon on the top left of the screen that’s is a phone with a check mark on the bottom right of it , thanks

    Reply

  124. Christine StLouis says

    On my boyfriend’s phone a gray envelope with a gray heart on the right lower corner of the envelope what does that mean? On the notification bar.

    Reply

  127. Jenny says

    I have a icon in the top left of my phone and it is a phone icon with a circle above it, it looks like a clock pointing at 3 o’clock

    Reply

  128. Joshua Jones says

    How do I remove the data save symbol (the circle with a plus sign in the middle) from the top of my screen?

    Reply

  130. Jim McCullough says

    What does semi circle with + sign in middle mean? Had phone almost 2 years and this just showed up

    Reply

  132. j a says

    I am recently getting an icon right next to the sig strength icon. It looks like a human “eye” and disappears before I can click on it or tap it. What is this? It looks like the smart stay activated icon, but not exactly sionce it does not have any of the eyebrows included. There is no explanation in the search bar to explain what smart stay is either.

    Reply

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