Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face a situation where mysterious characters appear at the top of the screen, in the so-called status bar. These small images carry important information about the status of the device, connected services or missed events. Understanding what each particular icon means allows you to instantly assess the situation without unlocking the screen or entering the menu.
The MIUI interface (and its new version of HyperOS) has its own unique logic of visualizing system events. Some icons are standard for Android, others are unique to Xiaomi. Ignoring some of them can lead to battery drain or miss important calls, while others simply inform you about the features you may have activated accidentally.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible options for graphical notations that may occur in the status bar of your gadget, we will look at how to manage their visibility, how to fix the situation if the icon “hangs” and does not disappear, and also answer frequent questions of users about the functionality of the notification system.
Classification of indicators in the status line
All the characters displayed at the top of the display can be divided into three broad groups: the first group is the communication and network indicators, which include cellular signal level icons, the type of connection used (G, E, 3G, H+, 4G, 5G), and the status of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which are critical to understanding the availability of the device for voice and data communication.
The second group is system notifications and device statuses, which include battery charge, vibration, alarm, NFC, Do Not Disturb, and other background processes, and this is where users often ask questions, because some symbols may not be obvious, such as an hourglass icon or a lightning bolt in a circle.
The third group is app notifications, which are the icons that appear when you receive a new message, email or social network notification, and in recent Xiaomi firmware versions, this category has become more flexible, allowing you to hide the content of notifications on a locked screen for privacy purposes.
Decoding the main icons of communication and the Internet
The most important information for the user is the status of the connection to the network. If you see the letter G, it means operating in the GPRS (2G) standard, which is characteristic of areas with very poor coverage. Data speeds are minimal, and modern instant messengers can work unstablely. The symbol E (EDGE) indicates a slightly faster, but still outdated data standard.
More modern standards are labeled as 3G, H or H+. The latter (H+) is often referred to as “3.5G,” and it provides a comfortable speed for navigation and listening to music. However, the gold standard today is 4G (LTE) and 5G. If the signal level divisions are lit by the corresponding icon, then your Xiaomi smartphone is running in high-speed mode.
Special attention should be paid to the signs associated with SIM-As most of Xiaomi devices support two. SIM-The numbers 1 and 2 can be displayed in the status bar next to the signal indicators, which helps to understand what kind of card is used for mobile Internet at the moment. SIM-card, which signals the absence of a card in the slot or an error in reading it.
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If the 4G/LTE icon is on, but the Internet is not working, try to switch network mode in the settings: select "Only 4G", wait 10 seconds, and then return the value "Preferred LTE".
It is important to distinguish between the status of the Wi-Fi connection. The standard fan icon shows the presence of a network. If there is an exclamation point or cross next to it, this means that there is a connection to the router, but there is no access to the Internet, in which case the problem may be on the provider side or in the settings of the router.
System indicators and operating modes
Beyond the link, the status bar is packed with indicators that monitor how the smartphone works, and one of the most frequently asked questions is about an icon (month) or sign. ⛔ This is a "Do Not Disturb" mode, and in this state, incoming calls and notifications will not make any sounds or vibrations, which is convenient during sleep or meetings.
Another important symbol is the alarm clock, which, if you set the wake-up time, will show a picture of a small alarm clock in the corner of the screen, and it will disappear after the call depends on the repeat settings, and users will often see an NFC icon (letters N-F-C), which appears when the short-range contactless module is activated, which is necessary for payment by phone (Mi Pay, Google Pay) or quick pairing with accessories.
There are also a number of specific icons associated with Xiaomi's gamer features, such as a joystick or rocket icon that indicates Game Turbo activation. In this mode, the system prioritizes the CPU resources for the game, blocks notifications and improves touchscreen response.
Hidden engineering badges
In the current versions of Android and MIUI, the green circle lights up in the upper right corner, and the orange circle lights up when you use the microphone, a security feature that prevents apps from surreptitiously monitoring you. If you see an orange dot when you're not using a voice recorder or communication, it's worth checking the running apps.
Battery and charging indicators
Power status is a key parameter for any mobile device. The standard battery icon shows the current percentage of charge. However, Xiaomi has implemented several additional designations. Lightning inside the battery means that the device is connected to the charger. If lightning flashes or is displayed in red when the charger is connected, this may indicate a faulty cable, power supply or USB connector itself.
Particular attention should be paid to the energy saving mode. When the charge falls below a certain level (usually 20% or 10%), the system suggests turning on the energy saving mode. In this case, the battery icon may change: it will become half-shaped or an additional leaf/hand symbol will appear. In this mode, the background activity of the applications is limited, the brightness and frequency of the processor decreases to extend the battery life.
There is also a Quick Charge (Turbo Charge) feature, which, when using the original power supply and cable, can display special animations or the text designation MI Turbo Charge on the lock screen and status bar, which confirms that the device is charging at maximum power supported. The absence of this icon when using a powerful charging indicates that a poor-quality cable is used that does not support the necessary currents.
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The constant burning of the overheating icon (thermometer) even in simple indicates battery wear or malfunction of the power controller, which requires diagnosis in the service center.
The table below shows the color and graphic variations of the battery indicator:
| Appearance | Meaning | Action. |
|---|---|---|
| Green battery | Charge more than 20%, the device is in good condition | No action required |
| Yellow/Orange battery | Energy saving mode activated | Charge the device or turn off the savings |
| Red battery (flashes) | Critical charge level (< 5%) | Urgently connect to the charger. |
| Thermometer battery | Overheating or supercooling of the device | Stop using, let it cool/warm down |
Managing the display of notification icons
Many users prefer minimalism and want to remove unnecessary icons from the status bar so as not to clutter the screen. In Xiaomi firmware, this can be done through settings. The path to the menu may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the overall logic remains the same. You need to go to the system settings section.
To manage status display, follow the following steps:
- 📱 Open the Settings app on your smartphone.
- 🔍 Go to Notifications and Status Line (or Notifications and Control Center).
- ⚙️ Find the Status Bar or Display Notification Icons.
- ✅ With the help of switches, activate or turn off the display of the desired symbols (for example, battery charge in percentage, icon). NFC, alarm-clock).
It's worth noting that system icons like signal strength or Wi-Fi indicator cannot be turned off because they are critical interface elements, but you can hide the content of notifications, for example, so that when an incoming message on WhatsApp or Telegram does not display the text of the message on the locked screen, but only the application icon.
☑️ Checking notification settings
Display problems and ways to solve them
Sometimes people are faced with a situation where the notification icon is stuck. For example, you listened to a voice message, but the envelope icon or headphones remained hanging in the status bar. This is a software glitch that often occurs in the MIUI shell. The first and easiest way to solve is to reboot the device. This clears the cache of the system and resets the processes responsible for the status bar.
If the reboot didn't help, maybe the problem lies in the specific application. Try clearing the app cache that generates the notification. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps, find the right one (like Explorer or Security) and select Clear Cache. Don't confuse it with Clear All Data, as this will delete your files and settings inside the app.
⚠️ Warning: If the battery overheat icon or error SIM-The card appears constantly even after rebooting and resetting, which may indicate a hardware malfunction. In such cases, the software methods are powerless, and a visit to the service center for the diagnosis of the motherboard is required.
Another common problem is that app notification icons disappear. If push notifications stop coming, check autostart and power saving settings. Xiaomi aggressively kills background processes to save charge. You need to fix the desired application in memory (open the menu of running applications, click on the lock icon) and allow autostart in the Security application.