All icons on Xiaomi phone: decryption of icons in status bar, notifications and on the desktop

Have you ever looked at the top right of your Xiaomi screen and wondered what these mysterious icons meant? Or suddenly noticed an unfamiliar icon in the notification panel and couldn't figure out where it came from? These little characters are the real language of your smartphone, which tells you about its state, active functions and even hidden problems.

In this article, we will analyze all the icons on Xiaomi phones that work on the phone. MIUI 14/13 You will learn what the status icons (where the clocks and indicators are displayed), what characters appear in notifications, and how to decrypt icons on the desktop. We will pay special attention to new icons that appeared in the latest updates, as well as rare symbols that can signal problems.

Whether you’re using Xiaomi’s flagship 14 Ultra or the budget Redmi Note 12, the majority of icons will be the same, and if you notice an icon on your screen that’s not on our list, it could mean that your device has custom software installed or a hidden feature activated, in which case we suggest checking the settings manually — at the end of the article we’ll tell you how to do this.

Basic icons in the status bar (top panel)

The status bar is the bar at the top of the screen that shows the time, the battery level, the various indicators, and here are the most important icons that show the current status of the device. Let's break them down by category.

The first thing to look at is the connectivity and the Internet indicators, which tell you how your phone is connected to the network, and what type of connection is being used at the moment. 4G+ or 5G It is a high-speed mobile internet, and the absence of any symbol near the antenna can mean problems with the Internet. SIM-card.

• 📶 The wave antenna is the signal level of the mobile network. The more divisions are filled, the more stable the communication is.
• 🌐 Roaming (your phone is connected to another operator’s network).
• ⚡ Lightning near the antenna – VoLTE mode is active (voice calls via the antenna) 4G).
• 📞 Pipe with arrow - active mode ViLTE (video calls through the 4G).
• 🔄 Two arrows in a circle – switching between networks (for example, with a 4G on 3G).

A separate group is wireless icons, which show how your Xiaomi interacts with other devices and networks, for example, the Wi-Fi icon can change view depending on the connection speed, and the Bluetooth icon signals active data transfer.

Notification icons: what they mean and how to turn them off

Notifications in MIUI Each app is designed to grab your attention, and sometimes notification panels are filled with dozens of icons, and we'll look at what the most common ones mean and how to manage their display.

So, let's start with system notifications, which are when the phone needs you to intervene or when it reports important events. 🔋 with an exclamation point means that the battery is discharged to a critical level, and the icon 📱 It's a gear that signals an available system update, and you can't turn off those notifications completely, but you can set them up to prioritize.

• 🔔 Exclamation bell – a new notification from the application (for example, a message in the messenger).
• ⚙️ Cogs – an update of the system or application is available.
• 🔒 Lock – the phone is locked (appears when you try to unlock).
• 📎 Paperclip - text or image is saved in the clipboard.
• 🛡️ Shield – Safe Zone (parental control or fraud protection).

Icons from third-party apps, for example, are particularly noteworthy. 🎵 It may mean that a music player is in the background, and 📊 — The fitness app tracks your activity. To turn off unnecessary notifications, go to Settings. → Notifications and status bar → Manage notifications and select the desired application.

⚠️ Warning: If you see the icon 🚨 With a red triangle, it means that the system has detected a potentially dangerous application. MIUI.

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To quickly clear all notifications, swipe down from the top edge of the screen and tap the basket icon in the bottom right corner.

Hidden and rare icons: what to do if an unknown symbol appears

Sometimes, icons that are not described in the official documentation may appear on the Xiaomi screen. MIUI, We'll see what they mean, and we'll see if they're worth the fear of, if they're debugging symbols for developers or even badges related to firmware testing.

One of the most mysterious signs is 🔍 It appears when you activate Device Search via Xiaomi Cloud. This is normal if you have enabled this feature yourself, but if the icon appears unexpectedly, check your Mi Account settings for suspicious devices.

Another rare symbol — 📡 It signals that the phone is in Wi-Fi hotspot mode, but without the connected devices. If you haven't manually activated this feature, chances are that it's enabled by a third-party app (for example, for automatic file sharing).

⚠️ Note: If you see the icon 🛑 If you have a red circle, it means that the system has blocked the installation of the application due to a security breach.

Desktop icons: shortcuts, widgets and system icons

Desktop MIUI — It's not just wallpaper and apps, but it's also a whole bunch of icons that can tell you the status of the phone, and it's all about standard icons (like a basket or weather) and less obvious characters that come up after you install themes or widgets.

So let's start with the system icons that you can't delete, like the icon. 📁 The lock is a secure folder, and the icon 🔄 It can mean an app clone (a function to create duplicate messengers). If you do not use these features, you can turn them off in the settings.

• 📱 Phone with gear - Settings (fast access to the main parameters of the system).
• 🔍 Lupa – Phone search (seeking apps, contacts, messages).
• 📊 Graphic - System Monitor (shows usage) CPU, memory).
• 🎨 Palette - Themes (change of design) MIUI).
• 🔋 Battery with lightning - Superfast charging mode (appears when you connect the original RAM).

And we should mention widgets, which can display all sorts of things, from weather to step statistics. 🚶 with numbers shows the number of steps taken (data from Mi Fitness), and the widget 📈 — mobile traffic usage schedule. To add or remove the widget, press and hold the free space on your desktop, then select Widgets.

Remove the shortcuts of unnecessary apps (click and hold) → "Delete")

Turn off widgets you don’t use (click and hold). → "Delete")

Hide system icons through Settings → Desktop → Icon settings

Use folders to group similar applications (drop one icon to another)

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Badges in the control panel (notification curtain)

The control panel (or "curtain") is a menu that opens when you swipe from top to bottom, and it's got quick switches for the most popular features, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, flashlight, and so on, and every icon in this panel is interactive, and you can click on it to turn it on or off.

Some of the icons here are duplicates of the ones we saw in the status bar, but there are also unique ones. 🌙 He is responsible for the Dark Theme regime, and 📱 With two arrows, for Mi Share, if you don't need a switch, you can remove it: click on the icon. ⚙️ in the upper right corner of the curtain and select Edit.

Particularly noteworthy are hidden switches that don't show up by default. 🎤 This includes voice amplification during calls, and 📡 — Mobile hotspot. To add them to the bar, go to the edit and drag the icons to the top of the screen.

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If there is a sign in the notification curtain 🚫 With Wi-Fi crossed off, it means that the system has blocked the automatic connection to an unreliable network. → Wi-Fi and confirm the manual connection.

How to remove unnecessary icons and configure their display

If your screen is littered with icons and there is no room in the status bar for important information, it's time to clean up. MIUI There are several ways to manage icon display – from simple hiding to completely disabling notifications from specific apps.

Start with the status bar. To remove unnecessary indicators, go to Settings. → Notifications and status bar → Status indicators. Here you can turn off the display of icons for:

• 🔋 Battery Charging (if you don’t want to see the percentage of charge).
• 📶 Signal level (if it is distracting).
• ⚙️ System notifications (e.g., available updates).

To manage notifications from apps go to Settings → Notifications and status bar → Notification management:

• Disable notifications completely for unnecessary applications.
• Set priority (important notifications will be shown first).
• Hide the contents of notifications on the lock screen (for privacy).

⚠️ Note: If you turn off notifications for system applications (such as Security or System Update), you may miss important warnings about viruses or new versions. MIUI. Do this only if you are confident in your actions.

For the desktop and control panel also has its own settings:

• To remove the icons from your desktop, click and hold the icon, then drag it to Delete.
• To change the order of the switches in the curtain, click Edit and drag the icons to the right places.
• To hide system icons (such as Recycle Bin), go to Settings → Desktop → Icon settings.

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If you want to return the standard layout of the icons, but do not remember how it looked originally, reset the desktop settings: → Desktop → Resetting settings.

The icons on the lock screen: what they mean

Xiaomi's lock screen is not just a beautiful image, it's also an information bar, and it displays notifications, device status, and even quick actions (like launching a camera or flashlight), and let's see what the icons in that part of the interface mean.

The most prominent icons on the lock screen are notification indicators that appear at the bottom of the screen and signal missed calls, messages or calendar events.

• 📞 The tube is a missed call.
• 💬 The cloud with the message is new SMS messenger.
• 📅 Calendar - Upcoming Event.

To see the details, swipe your finger up the icon.

At the top of the lock screen are duplicated some icons from the status bar:

• ⏰ The clock is the current time (set the format in Settings) → Lock screen → The clock).
• 🔋 Battery – charge level (color varies depending on percentage).
• 📶/🌐 Network – status of mobile connection or Wi-Fi.

Particularly noteworthy are the fast action icons that appear in the lower corners of the screen:

• 📷 Camera – Quick camera start (swipe to right).
• 🔦 Flashlight - turning on the backlight (swipe left on some models).
• 🏠 Home – Launch of the Mi Smart Home (if Xiaomi devices are connected).

These icons can be configured or removed in Settings → Lock screen → Labels.

⚠️ Note: If there is an icon on the lock screen 🔓 with a red cross, which means someone tried to unlock a phone with the wrong password. Check the device for suspicious activity and change the password in Settings → Lock screen → Password.

FAQ: Frequent questions about badges on Xiaomi