Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face a situation where mysterious symbols appear in the status bar or in the notification curtain that did not exist before. The appearance of a new icon can cause concern: whether a paid feature is turned on, whether flight mode has been activated or the phone has gone into a state that the user does not know. The MIUI interface and its modern version of HyperOS are saturated with dozens of indicators, each of which carries specific information about the system.
Understanding what a character means on a phone allows you to instantly evaluate the status of a device without having to dig into the depths of the menu. This is especially true for new users moving from other brands where the logic of displaying information may differ. In this article, we will break down the main groups of icons, explain their purpose and learn how to manage them for your convenience.
Some indicators appear automatically when you perform certain actions, such as when you plug in a headset or turn on a screen recording. Others may be the result of accidentally touching hidden settings or activating special modes for gamers.
Network connection and data transmission indicators
The most important character group is located on the left side of the status bar, where the signal level is usually displayed. Here the user sees not only the number of sticks, but also the type of connection used. 4G or 5G numbers indicate high-speed mobile Internet, while the letters E (Edge) or G (GPRS) indicate extremely low data transfer rates, which often happens in areas of poor coverage.
Special attention should be paid to the symbols associated with two SIM-On Xiaomi phones, you can often see small numbers 1 and 2 next to the signal icon, which helps to distinguish which card is used for calls or mobile traffic at the moment. SIM, This means that the card is not detected or blocked. PIN-code.
Wi-Fi symbols can also vary. The standard web indicates connectivity, but if an exclamation point or numbers 1x, 2x appear nearby, it indicates speed or no Internet access via a router. Newer versions of the firmware may display a Wi-Fi 6 icon that confirms that it works with the latest wireless standards.
⚠️ Warning: If you see an hourglass icon or up-and-down arrows that blink constantly even without active user action, this may indicate background malware activity or malfunction of the system process.
Battery status and energy saving modes
The battery icon in the upper right corner is not just a charge indicator. Depending on the display settings, additional symbols may appear inside or near it. For example, a lightning inside the battery indicates that the device is connected to the charger. If lightning appears near the percentage of charge, but the phone is not connected to the network, this may indicate an on mode of Energy Saving.
Power saving mode on Xiaomi has several levels. When activated standard savings, the battery icon can turn green. When you turn on "Ultra mode" or "Super-saving", the phone limits background processes and brightness, as indicated by changing the color of the icon to yellow or red, as well as the appearance of a special icon in the notification curtain.
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To quickly turn on saving mode, swipe down the notification curtain and find the "Battery Savings" tile. Long-term pressing on it will open the advanced settings.
Also worth mentioning is the Leaf icon, which is often confused with savings. In fact, the green leaf inside or next to the battery most often means the Ultra Battery Saver mode on, which turns the smartphone into a device with minimal functionality for emergencies.
Sound profiles, alarm clocks and notifications
The sound control in MIUI is implemented through a set of clear graphical symbols: the bell means normal ringing mode, the crossed bell means silent mode, and the vibration is indicated by the corresponding icon with vibrations. However, users often do not know what the "Finger at the Lips" icon means (Do Not Disturb mode).
When Do Not Disturb is activated, the phone blocks all incoming calls and notifications except those added to the exceptions, which is useful during sleep or meetings, and can be distinguished from silent by the crescent in the status bar, unlike simple vibration, this mode completely ignores the screen when messages arrive.
The alarm icon appears automatically after setting the time in the standard Watch app, and it stays in the status bar until it is triggered or manually disabled. If the alarm is turned off in the app settings but the icon is still there, try restarting the device — this is a frequent software glitch of the interface.
Hidden sound profiles
Connected devices: Bluetooth, USB and headsets
A modern smartphone rarely works alone. A Bluetooth symbol with a stylized "B" appears when you turn on the module. If a device (headphones, watches, speakers) is connected to the phone, the icon may change or an additional icon of a particular gadget may appear, for example, the headphones are displayed as a schematic image of them.
When you connect to a computer through a cable, a USB icon often appears in the curtain. It can have different variations: simply USB, USB with an arrow (file transfer) or USB with lightning (charging only), clicking on this notification allows you to select the mode of operation: Charge only, File Transfer (MTP) or Modem Modem.
And the NFC icon, which is also something that you can use when you activate a contactless payment or data exchange module. If the NFC icon is burning all the time, but you're not using the payment, you'd better turn it off in the settings to save battery life, because it's constantly scanning for tags.
| Badge | Name of name | What does it mean? | How to turn off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📶 (numerically) | Two. SIM | Second SIM card active | Settings → SIM-map |
| 🌙 | Don't disturb. | Blocking sound and screen | The curtain → Moon badge |
| 📍 | Geolocation | The app uses GPS. | Settings → Confidentiality |
| 🎮 | Game Turbo | Play mode active | Security Annex |
System Notifications and Game Modes
One of Xiaomi's features is aggressive optimization and gaming features. The Game Turbo icon (often looks like a joystick or rocket) appears when you run a game from a list of optimized apps, which redistributes CPU resources in favor of the game and blocks distracting notifications.
Users also often ask what the Eye or Vision Protection icon means, which appears in the curtain when reading mode is activated or the screen's blue spectrum is lowered, a useful feature for reading text at night that makes the screen's colors warmer (yellowish).
☑️ Verification of active regimes
System notifications for updates, app installations or memory shortages also have their own graphical designations, and it is important not to ignore the Exclamation Point Triangle icon, which can signal critical system errors or security issues.
How to manage icon display in MIUI and HyperOS
Not all icons are required to be displayed. You can hide some of them in the system settings so you don't clutter up the status bar. The path to these settings is usually: Settings → Notifications and Status String → Status String. Here you can turn on or off the display of Internet speed, signal strength for the second SIM and other elements.
To fine-tune the game indicators and modes "Do not disturb" you need to go to the app "Security" (green icon with lightning). In the "Game Turbo" or "Battery" section, you can configure in detail which icons and under what conditions should appear on the screen.
If the "slip" icon does not disappear after the action is performed (for example, turned off Bluetooth, and the icon remained), try using the "Memory Cleanup" function (broom button in the menu of running applications) or reboot your smartphone. This is a standard procedure for resetting temporary graphical interface errors.
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Full reset of the status bar settings is possible through the menu "Advanced Settings" → "Reset the status bar settings" if such an option is available in your firmware version.