You need to understand the meaning of the Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons, which alert you to some critical information about the phone’s status, including battery level, signal strength, connectivity status, and notifications from some apps, to avoid some issues and use the phone effectively.
This Galaxy S23 how-to guide first explains the differences between Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons, then explains the meaning of Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons in Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra. These status icons and notification icons are grouped into 8 categories so that you can easily find them.
Samsung uses slightly different icons in different regions or for different carriers, so you may see a few Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons that look different from those shown in this guide. This is normal. If you cannot figure out the meaning of those icons, you may share the screenshot on our FaceBook page so that the community can help you identify them.
A definite guide on status icons and notification icons on Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra
- Differences between Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
- Categories of Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
- Meaning of system settings related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
- System error status icon
- Storage full status icon
- Location service icon
- Camera access status (indicator) icon
- Microphone access status icon
- System certificate info icon
- Lock screen settings notification icon
- Sync error status icon
- Sync icon
- Smart view icon
- Download notification icon
- Upload notification icon
- Secure Folder icon
- Screenshot notification icon
- Meaning of WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
- Mobile network related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
- Mobile network signal strength icon
- Mobile network in range icon
- Mobile network unavailable icon
- Roaming mode icon
- Airplane mode (flight mode) icon
- GPRS mobile data connection icon
- EDGE mobile data connection icon
- 3G mobile data connection icon
- HSPA mobile data connection icon
- HSPA+ mobile data connection icon
- 4G LTE mobile data connection icon
- voLTE status icon
- 5G network connection status icon
- SIM card toolkit icon
- Preferred SIM card icon (dual SIM version of Galaxy S22 only)
- Data saver icon
- Meaning of USB related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
- Meaning of battery and power related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
- Meaning of phone calls and sound mode related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
- Call in progress icon
- Missed call notification icon
- Call forwarding notification icon (call divert)
- Call on-hold notification icon
- Microphone muted notification icon
- Voicemail notification icon
- Do not disturb status icon
- Alarm icon
- Mute mode (silent mode) status icon
- Vibrate mode status icon
- Separate app sound notification icon
- Meaning of messages related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
- S Pen status and notification icons (Galaxy S23 Ultra only)
Differences between Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
The top of the Galaxy S23 touchscreen is reserved for the status bar. And Galaxy S23 displays some icons here to alert you about the status and issues of the phone and notifications from apps.
The status bar is hidden only when the app is in full-screen mode. For example, when you use the Galaxy S23 Camera app or play some games, the status bar collapses. In this case, you can swipe down from the top of the screen to call out the status bar (as well as the navigation bar if you are using the navigation buttons or the swipe hint if you are using navigation gestures).
The icons in the status bar are usually categorized as either Galaxy S23 status icons or Galaxy S23 notification icons. The classification is not rocket science and is arbitrary for some icons.
But generally speaking, the differences between Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons are apparent:
- Galaxy S23 status icons are always related to the system, while notification icons are usually linked to specific apps (including a few system apps and third-party apps).
- Galaxy S23 status icons are shown on the right side of the status bar, while Galaxy S23 notification icons always appear on the left side of the status bar except on the Galaxy S23 lock screen. On the Galaxy S23 lock screen, the notification icons or notification details are displayed below the contact info, not in the status bar.
- Galaxy S23 status icons are more or less universal in all regions and are designed by Samsung, while notification icons depend on individual apps. The developers can use whatever they like.
- Galaxy S23 status icons usually do not have any corresponding notifications in the notification panel, while notification icons usually have one or more corresponding notifications in the notification panel.
- You can customize the notification icon styles (e.g., the number of icons) on the Galaxy S23 status bar. But you cannot customize the Galaxy S23 status icons in the status bar.
In this guide, we will cover the meaning of 1). Galaxy S23 status icons, and 2). Galaxy S23 system-related notification icons. It is almost impossible to cover third-party app notification icons because, as mentioned earlier, the developer may choose (and change) whatever they want for their apps.
Please note, with the Android 14 (One UI 6) update for Galaxy S23, S22, and S21, when you swipe down from the right side part (near the corner) of the status bar, you may access the full quick settings panel, instead of the notification panel. This is a new feature of One UI 6: Quick Settings Instant Access.
Categories of Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
To make it easy to read, this guide groups Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons into the following 8 categories:
- System settings/apps related;
- WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC related;
- Mobile network related;
- USB related;
- Battery/power related;
- Phone calls and sound mode related;
- Messages related.
- S Pen status and notification icons (Galaxy S23 Ultra only).
Now, let’s go through these icons one by one.
Meaning of system settings related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
Galaxy S23 includes some status icons and notification icons related to system services or components, for example, storage, sync, privacy, and location services.
These are usually critical to the reliability and integrity of the phone. You should fully understand the meaning of these Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons and take corresponding actions if needed.
System error status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates there are some severe system errors on your phone.
You should try to back up your data as early as possible if you see this icon.
You may try to reboot the phone and/or clear the cache partition to see whether the icon disappears.
It is better to visit the local Samsung service center to check your Galaxy S23 if you consistently get this status icon.
Storage full status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon tells you that you are out of the phone’s internal storage.
The performance of the Galaxy S23 will degrade severely when you see this status icon. You should clean up some files to free up the internal storage space.
You can check storage usage in the My Files app. Device care can help you to clear some unnecessary files.
Please note none of the Galaxy S23 models supports a micro SD card. You can transfer your files to the cloud (e.g. Google Drive or One Drive) or a USB thumb drive.
Location service icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon appears when the location service is accessed by an app.
You probably should not disable location service because many apps rely on it.
On Galaxy S23, you can turn on/off location service for each app individually and allow the app to access location service only when you are using the app (i.e., block the background access).
Galaxy S23 Camera app needs to access location service if you want to save location tags with the photos/videos.
Camera access status (indicator) icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon means the camera is currently being used.
This is a new privacy feature in Android 12 alerting you that some apps are using your camera.
For example, when you start the Galaxy S23 camera app (or camera widget), you will see this status icon. The icon then turns into a dot so that it will not mess up the preview screen.
Microphone access status icon
Similar to the camera access status icon, this Galaxy S23 status icon alerts you the microphone is being used by some apps. For example, when you record videos or take voice memos, this icon appears in the status bar.
System certificate info icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates some certificate info problems or some actions are required.
You may check the notification in the Galaxy S23 notification panel.
Lock screen settings notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon reminds you that some actions are required for Galaxy S23 lock screen settings (e.g., set up the screen lock), or you need to take some actions to finish some system settings.
Sync error status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates some errors were encountered when syncing the data on the Galaxy S23 with the Samsung server or Google Drive.
The problem can be caused by the remote server, internet connection, or phone (Galaxy S23).
If you get this status icon frequently, it is better to check the sync details of each account in Settings — Accounts and backup — Manage Accounts.
Sync icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon appears when data are being synced. The icon may be animated as well.
It is essential to back up any critical data in Galaxy S23 so that you can quickly restore the phone when needed. You can back up most of the data to Google Drive. Photos can be automatically backed up to Google Drive if you enable it in the Google Photos app.
Smart view icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon indicates the smart view is active.
Samsung Smart View is an app bridging Samsung phones and Samsung TVs so that you can easily cast content on Galaxy S23 to the TV. But it only works with Samsung TVs.
It has nothing to do with Chromecast.
Download notification icon
When you download a file on Galaxy S23, you will see the animated version of this Galaxy S23 notification icon.
Once you finish the download, the icon will not animate.
By default, the downloaded files are saved in the Downloads folder in the phone storage.
Upload notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon indicates uploading operations, i.e., transferring files from Galaxy S23 to other devices or the internet.
Secure Folder icon
Galaxy S23 secure folder allows you to run one additional private copy of any app. You can hide apps and private files in a secure folder as well.
Please check this guide on using the secure folder on Galaxy S23, S22, S21, S20, S10, Galaxy S9, and S8.
Screenshot notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon appears after a screenshot is taken. You can check this guide (coming soon) on how to take a screenshot on Galaxy S23 and use the screenshot toolbar.
On Galaxy S23, you can choose the location for saving screenshots and screen recordings.
Meaning of WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
Galaxy S23 can connect to other devices or the Internet through WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC. Galaxy S23 also supports ultra-wideband (UWB). NFC and Bluetooth may also be used for mobile payment.
You will see this group of status icons or notification icons when Galaxy S23 is connecting to such networks.
WiFi connected status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates the phone is successfully connected to a WiFi access point.
If there are any data transfers, the two arrows should flash/animate.
WiFi 6 connected status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates the phone is successfully connected to a WiFi 6 access point.
Please note all three Galaxy S23 models (S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra) support WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and WiFi 6E (6 GHz).
WiFi in range status icon
The Galaxy S23 status icon indicates there are some unknown WiFi networks. You can open the WiFi settings to scan the available networks.
This WiFi in range status icon appears if:
- WiFi is turned on; and
- There are one or more WiFi access points in the range; and
- You are not connected to any of these WiFi access points.
You may check what available WiFi networks (Settings —Connections — Wi-Fi) and choose the one you can access.
WiFi no internet connection status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates the phone is connected to a wireless network. But there is no internet connection.
Usually, the problem lies on the router, not on your phone. You should check router settings or the internet connection to the router.
In some regions, the exclamation icon ( !) may be replaced with a cross (x).
WiFi Extender (WiFi sharing) icon
Galaxy S23 allows you to share WiFi connections with other devices. This Galaxy S23 status icon appears when you share WiFi connections.
WiFi sharing can be enabled in Settings — Connections — Mobile hotspot and tethering — Mobile hotspot — Configure — Advanced — WiFi Sharing.
Hotspot notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon alerts you that you enabled the hotspot and are sharing your mobile data connections with other devices.
In some regions, the notification icon can be different.
Some carriers may disable the hotspot feature for some mobile plans.
VPN connection notification icon
When your Galaxy S23 is connected to a VPN service, you will see this notification icon.
Bluetooth status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon appears when you enable Bluetooth or connect to Bluetooth accessories (e.g., Galaxy Buds).
The color of the icon may change depending on the status of the Bluetooth connection (enabled or connected).
NFC icon
This NFC status icon may appear when you enable NFC on Galaxy S23.
In most regions, the NFC icon is not shown even if NFC is enabled. This is normal (to save space in the status bar).
NFC is mainly used for mobile payment. The NFC antenna is located on the back of the Galaxy S23 (as explained in the Galaxy S23 layout)
Some Galaxy S23 accessories may depend on NFC. For example, the Galaxy S23 Clear View (S View) wallet cover needs NFC to draw power from the phone.
Casting icon
This Galaxy S22 notification icon appears when you are casting from Galaxy S23 to a Chromecast device or a Google Home device.
Mobile network related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
Galaxy S23 always alerts you about the mobile network connectivity status and issues in the status icons. SIM card issues will also be reported with some icons.
Of course, you can check the mobile network and SIM card status in Galaxy S23 Settings —About phone — Status information — SIM card status, as explained in detail here.
Mobile network signal strength icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates the strength of the mobile signal in your area. The strength is illustrated by the number of bars. A strong signal usually corresponds to a better connection/reception.
Please note eSIM works like a normal physical SIM card. The signal strength will also be shown as other SIM cards. Please check this guide on eSIM support on Galaxy S20, S21, S22, and S23.
Mobile network in range icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates there is a mobile network in range. But Galaxy S22 failed to register onto it.
When you see this icon, you may try to reboot the Galaxy S23 and wait a while to see whether your SIM card can register to any network automatically. If the problem persists, you should contact your carrier to check whether your SIM is activated or not or the mobile signal coverage in your area.
Another possible cause of this icon is the improper mobile network mode settings. You should try to use auto-connect in Galaxy S23 Settings — Connections — Mobile networks — Network mode SIM1 (and 2).
Mobile network unavailable icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon means the phone fails to register with any mobile networks in that area. Therefore, you cannot use mobile network features: you cannot make or receive calls or use mobile data.
The problem may be caused by the following:
- There is no mobile network signal coverage of your carrier in the specific location at that time; or
- The SIM card has not been activated yet.
- Wrong mobile network mode. You should try to use automatic connect in Settings —Connections — Mobile networks — Network mode.
You have to call your carrier to solve the issue if you get this icon persistently.
Roaming mode icon
The Galaxy S23 status icon indicates your Galaxy S23 is roaming to a partner’s network, not in your carrier’s own/home network. The charges for voice and data are usually more expensive than using your carrier’s own network.
By default, mobile data roaming is disabled to help you avoid expensive mobile data charges in a guest network. You can enable/disable data roaming in Settings — Connections — Mobile networks — Data roaming.
Airplane mode (flight mode) icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates your Galaxy S23 is in flight (airplane) mode.
Under flight mode, all connections, including WiFi, mobile network, and Bluetooth, will be turned off by default.
You can manually turn on WiFi and Bluetooth connections on Galaxy S23 in flight mode. But you cannot turn on the mobile network (data or voice) in flight mode.
If you have updated your Galaxy S23 to Android 14 (One UI 6), the Airplane mode becomes smarter. The phone remembers your options for Bluetooth and WiFi and uses them automatically when you turn on the flight mode next time.
You should use the flight mode if the smartphone is allowed during the flight (normally during cruising). This also saves battery for the phone. When the plane is taking off or landing, normally, you are required to power off Galaxy S23.
GPRS mobile data connection icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates that the phone is connected to the mobile data network in the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) mode, which is a type of 2G mobile data connection and the slowest mobile data connection. Such a mobile data connection is only suitable for checking emails or downloading MMS. It is too slow for web browsing nowadays.
If your mobile plan includes 3G data, 4G LTE data, or 5G, but you often get this GPRS data connection icon, you may check with your carrier on the 3G, 4G, and 5G network coverage in your area.
EDGE mobile data connection icon
The Galaxy S23 status icon indicates your Galaxy S23 is using a 2G EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) mobile data connection. It is normally faster than GPRS. But it is still a 2G connection, which is normally slower than a 3G or 4G data connection.
If your mobile plan includes 3G data, 4G LTE data, or 5G, but you often get this Galaxy S23 status icon, you may check with your carrier on the 3G, 4G, and 5G network coverage in your area.
3G mobile data connection icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates the phone is connected to a UMTS network. It is generally faster than GPRS and EDGE connections.
HSPA and HSPA+ are usually considered as 3G connections (using 3G network infrastructure) as well. But Samsung (and most carriers) use different status icons on Galaxy S23 for them.
HSPA mobile data connection icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates the phone is connected to an HSPA network.
HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) is considered as mobile “broadband”. The typical speed is about a few Mbits per second. In some regions, it may be referred to as a 3.5G network.
The connection speed is typically faster than the 3G UMTS connection.
HSPA+ mobile data connection icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates the phone is connected to an HSPA+ network.
HSPA+ (Evolved HSPA) is the fastest 3G data connection you can get currently.
In some regions, HSPA+ is marketed as 3.75G or 4G (3G in nature, actually). The typical speed of the HSPA+ network is about 10-20 Mbits.
4G LTE mobile data connection icon
Depending on your region and carrier, you should see only one of these two 4G LTE status icons. The icon indicates your Galaxy S23 is connected to a 4G network.
LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and LTE+ are usually called 4G in most regions.
Unlike 3G, HSPA, and HSPA+, the frequency (band) of 4G LTE in different regions (and different carriers) may differ dramatically. When you travel to other areas, you may find your Galaxy S23 is limited to 3G or HSPA or HSPA+ network. This is normal because the radio frequency used in that region for LTE maybe not be activated in your Galaxy S23.
Although the Galaxy S23 supports all LTE bands, in each region, some bands were disabled in the firmware. So, you should buy Galaxy S23 for your region so that you can use all available bands in your region/carrier.
voLTE status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates your Galaxy S23 uses VoLTE for voice calls.
VoLTE (voice calls through 4G LTE work connections) is a carrier-dependent feature. It usually offers better voice quality and faster connecting.
By default, VoLTE is enabled in Galaxy S23 if your carrier supports it. Normally, you should not disable it. But if you want, you can disable or enable it in Settings — Connections — Mobile networks — VoLTE calls.
There is also a VoLTE button for you to quickly enable or disable VoLTE calls in Galaxy S23 quick setting panel.
5G network connection status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon means the phone is connected to a 5G network.
5G is the successor of 4G LTE. It is the latest cellular network technology with faster speed, lower latency, and higher throughput.
In all regions, Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra support the 5G network including 5G SA and 5G Sub-6. You can find the big letters of 5G on the outside of the Galaxy S23 box indicating that 5G is supported in your region.
However, 5G mmWave is only supported in the US version of Galaxy S23.
Please read this guide for a detailed explanation of 5G NSA, 5G SA, 5G mmWave, and 5G Sub-6.
SIM card toolkit icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates some value-added services of the SIM card were enabled.
The SIM card toolkits depend on individual carriers. You should also find a new app icon (e.g., SIM toolkit) on the Galaxy S23 Apps screen.
Preferred SIM card icon (dual SIM version of Galaxy S22 only)
When you use two SIM cards in the dual-SIM version of Galaxy S23, you have the option to set a preferred (default) SIM card for outgoing calls in Settings — Connections — SIM card manager — Calls.
If you set the preferred SIM card as SIM card 1, the SIM card icon with the number “1” will be shown in the status bar. If you set it to SIM card 2, the icon will have the icon for the number “2”. If you set it as Ask always (i.e., no preferred SIM card), the first icon shown above will be used in the status bar.
It seems Samsung is retiring these icons in most regions of Galaxy S23. This status icon only appears in a few carrier models of Galaxy S23.
Data saver icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates data saver is enabled for the mobile data.
The icon shows up on the status bar after you enable data saver in Settings — Connections —Data usage — Data saver.
Meaning of USB related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
The USB-C port at the bottom of Galaxy S23 (see Galaxy S23 layout) is often referred to as a multipurpose port.
In addition to charging the Galaxy S23 battery through this port, you can also connect many USB accessories to the phone through this port. For example, you may connect a USB thumb drive (or even a portable USB drive) to Galaxy S23 to transfer files or migrate data to Galaxy S23. Or you can connect a USB-C to an Ethernet adapter to connect to an Ethernet port.
USB data connection or USB OTG connection icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon appears when you transfer data from or to the phone through USB.
For example, when you insert a USB thumb drive (e.g., SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive) into Galaxy S23, you will see this notification icon.
USB OTG power failure notification icon
When you connect an unpowered device to the USB port, Galaxy S23 will power it up and connect to it.
But if Galaxy S23 fails to power it up for whatever reason, this notification icon appears.
You may try to reconnect the device or accessory again. Some accessories may require an external power source. In this case, you need to connect the external power source to the accessory before connecting it to Galaxy S23.
USB OTG unknown failure notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon indicates there are some unknown failures when trying to connect to a USB device.
USB Ethernet notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon indicates a USB-C to Ethernet adapter (like this one) is connected to Galaxy S23.
USB Ethernet status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates Galaxy S23 is connected to a wired network. Normally, this is done through a USB Ethernet adapter.
Unlike the previous notification icon, this icon appears on the right side of the status bar.
Meaning of battery and power related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
It is important to keep an eye on the battery level and any possible issues with Galaxy S23. You should also charge the Galaxy S22 battery to avoid a complete depletion of the battery.
Some battery-saving settings (e.g., Protect Battery) may extend your battery life, but at the price of performance.
This group of Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons gives some essential information about your battery and battery-related settings.
Battery level status icon
The battery level status icon gives you quick info on the battery capacity left so that you can know when to charge the battery.
By default, the exact percentage of the reading is not shown on the Galaxy S23 status bar. You can enable it in Settings — Notifications — Advanced settings — Show battery percentage.
Battery charging status icon
This battery charging status icon indicates that you are charging the Galaxy S23 battery through a USB cable or a wireless charging pad. You may check this guide on how to choose a compatible wireless charger for Galaxy S23.
On Galaxy S23, you can enable Protect battery to stop charging once the battery level reaches 85%. This may help reduce battery wear.
Power saving mode icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates the power-saving mode is enabled. It generally will use less battery than the default optimized mode to achieve a longer battery life.
On Galaxy S23, the power-saving mode can be used together with processing speed (enhanced processing).
You can also enable the Suspend Execution for Cached Apps in the Galaxy S23 Developer Options to save more battery.
Processing speed status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates the processing speed is set as high or maximum.
By default, the optimized processing speed is used. The icon disappears when in this mode.
Processing speed is a revamped version of enhanced processing introduced in the Android 11 update.
Battery problem icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates that there are some unknown problems with the Galaxy S23 battery.
You can try to connect the phone to a charger or reboot the phone to see whether the icon is gone.
If the status icon appears for a long time, and you cannot get the normal battery icons, you may try to back up your data and send the phone for repair/check.
Wireless PowerShare icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates wireless PowerShare is activated. In other words, Galaxy S23 is charging other devices.
If your Galaxy S23 battery level is lower than 30%, and it is not connected to a wall charger, then you cannot use wireless PowerShare by default. You can raise (not lower) this limit as explained in this guide (for Galaxy S20, S21, S22, and S23).
Please check this guide on how to use the wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S10, S20, S21, S22, and S23.
Moisture detected icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon indicates an abnormal level of moisture is detected in the USB port.
You cannot charge the Galaxy S23 battery through the USB port when this icon appears. You have to charge the battery with a wireless charging pad.
The moisture-detected problem has nothing to do with waterproofing. The moisture sensor is in the part that is allowed to come into contact with water. The icon only reminds you that the exterior part of the USB port has a higher-than-expected moisture buildup.
In some cases, the moisture problem can be caused by the weather or an oversensitive moisture sensor.
This icon does not say anything about what happened inside the phone.
Please refer to this guide on how to solve the moisture problem in Galaxy S8, S9, S10, S20, S21, S22, and S23.
Meaning of phone calls and sound mode related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
When you receive a call, pick up a call, or miss a call, Galaxy S23 will alert you with some notification icons.
You may use various sound modes (sound, muted, vibrate) and Do Not Disturb on Galaxy S23. Some status icons are also shown to let you know the current sound mode.
Call in progress icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon indicates you are engaged in a call.
The icon appears on the left side of the status bar when you are called (before picking up the call when the Galaxy S23 ringtone is being played) and during a call (after accepting the call).
Missed call notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon indicates there is a (or more) missed call.
You can check the caller info through the notification panel. You can also find detailed info on the missed calls in the history panel of the Phone app on Galaxy S23.
Call forwarding notification icon (call divert)
The Galaxy S23 notification icon means phone calls are currently diverted/forwarded to other numbers or voicemails.
You can set call forwarding in the Phone app on your phone. Alternatively, you can set up call forwarding through your carrier’s support lines directly.
Although the call forwarding service itself may be free in most carriers, your carrier will charge the airtime for the forwarding. When you are roaming abroad, the expensive international calling rate is usually applied for forwarded calls. So, be mindful when you use call forward (divert) when roaming.
When you use two SIM cards on Galaxy S23 ( and enable dual SIM always on, call forwarding and call waiting (on-hold) will be enabled automatically.
Call on-hold notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon reminds you of the existence of an on-hold call.
You can place the current call on hold and accept another call. Thus you can talk to the first caller after you finish the second call.
You also need to use the call on-hold feature when you initiate a conference call.
Microphone muted notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon alerts you that the microphone is muted for the Phone app. So the people on the line will not hear you.
During a call, you may occasionally want to mute the microphone. Once the microphone is muted during a call, you will see this notification icon in the status bar.
Voicemail notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon means you get a new voicemail message.
For most carriers, you can tap and hold (long tap) button 1 in the Phone app’s dialer to access your voicemail box to check new messages. Other carriers may ask you to dial a special code to access the voicemail box.
Unlike SMS messages, voicemail messages are NOT saved on the phone. They are saved on your carrier’s server. That’s why most carriers only allow a certain number of messages in the voicemail box.
Do not disturb status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates you set the phone in do not disturb (DND) mode.
In the DND mode, you will get very limited distractions from Galaxy S23. Most notifications and calls will be silenced.
You can instantly enable or disable the Do Not Disturb mode using the button in Galaxy S23 quick settings panel.
Alarm icon
The Galaxy S23 notification icon means that there are one or more incoming alarms.
You can find and manage all alarms in the Clock app.
Mute mode (silent mode) status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates Galaxy S23 is in Silent mode: no sounds and no vibrating for all calls and notifications.
Galaxy S23 has three sound modes:
- Sound mode
- Vibrate mode
- Silent mode (mute mode)
In the Silent mode, you can still play media files and listen to music.
You can change the sound mode in Settings — Sounds and vibration — Sound mode.
Vibrate mode status icon
This Galaxy S23 status icon indicates that your Galaxy S23 is in vibrate mode.
In this vibrate mode, when you get calls and notifications, Galaxy S23 will not play the ringtones or notifications sounds. Instead, the phone may vibrate depending on other (vibration) settings.
Separate app sound notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon indicates you set up the separate app sound for at least one app, and it is active now.
You can set up Galaxy S23 separate app sound in Settings — Sounds and vibration — Separate app sound.
Meaning of messages related Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons
Finally, the following Galaxy S22 status icons and notification icons are messages related.
Text messages notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon indicates there are one or more new text messages.
In most regions, MMS uses the same icon for the notification.
Chat notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon is used in a few regions for some legacy services.
Gmail notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon indicates you have some new emails in the Gmail app.
You can set up some non-Google email accounts in the Gmail app. So this Galaxy S23 notification icon does not necessarily mean new emails in a Gmail account. Rather it means there are some new emails in the Gmail app.
Email notification icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon alerts you there are new emails in the Email app.
It is for the Samsung Email app.
More notifications icon
This Galaxy S23 notification icon indicates there are more notifications than what is shown in the status bar.
On Galaxy S23, you can customize the notification icon style to show the recent 3 icons, or all icons, or the number of icons.
If you choose to show the most recent 3 icons (default), and there are 4 or more icons, you will see the dot icon.
Similarly, if you choose to show all icons, but the space is not sufficient to show all of the notification icons, you will also see the icon.
Number of notification icons
This Galaxy S23 notification icon indicates the number of notifications.
It appears only if you customize the notification icon style as the number of notification icons.
Dual Messenger icon
Galaxy S23 dual messenger allows you to have two accounts of the supported messenger apps (e.g., WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Telegram, Viber…) and Facebook accounts in Galaxy S23.
You can use these two messenger accounts simultaneously on Galaxy S23. You can even use these two accounts side-by-side in the Multi Window mode.
Please refer to this guide on how to use dual messenger on Galaxy S23, S22, S21, S20, S10, S9, and S8.
S Pen status and notification icons (Galaxy S23 Ultra only)
Galaxy S23 Ultra has a built-in S Pen. A status icon for S Pen appears when the S Pen is taken out of the S Pen slot. When S Pen is taken out of the slot and loses connection to the phone, a notification icon then appears.
S Pen connected status icon
This status icon appears when the S Pen is pulled out of the S Pen slot, and it is connected to the phone.
This icon also implies the remote control and Air Actions are ready.
S Pen disconnected status icon
This status icon appears when the S Pen is pulled out of the S Pen slot and is disconnected from the phone.
The S Pen may be disconnected from the phone when it is not in the slot for one of the following reasons:
- The distance between the phone and S Pen is larger than the Bluetooth range (less than 10 meters for S Pen). For example, you forget the S Pen on the office desk.
- The battery in the S Pen is running out. As explained here, the S Pen uses two power sources for the two modes. The battery in the S Pen can typically last about 30 mins or 200 button clicks. You need to put it back in the slot to charge it.
When this status icon appears, you can still use the S Pen in writing mode.
S Pen disconnected notification icon
This notification icon appears when the S Pen is pulled out of the S Pen slot and is disconnected from the phone.
This is a notification icon coming together with the disconnected status icon. Normally, there is a corresponding notification in the notification panel.
Do you know the meaning of status icons and notification icons on Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra now?
You may let us know in the comment box if you have any questions or need help with Galaxy S23 status icons and notification icons.
The community will help you.
You may check other Galaxy S23 guides organized in the following 4 sections.
- Galaxy S23 new features guides. Galaxy S23 new features guides explain the new features of Galaxy S23 and show you how to use them. New features in the One UI 6 (Android 14) update are also covered in this section.
- Galaxy S23 how-to guides. Galaxy S23 how-to guides show you how to use and customize Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra to meet your needs.
- Galaxy S23 camera guides. Galaxy S23 camera guides show you how to use Galaxy S23 camera features to shoot the best photos and videos with the top-notch camera system in Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra. The new camera features in the One UI 6 (Android 14) update are also covered.
- Galaxy S23 accessories guides. Galaxy S23 accessories guides explore useful Galaxy S23 accessories and show you how to use them to protect your phone or increase your productivity (or fun).
Besides, you can read and download (in PDF format) the official Galaxy S23 user manual (including the updated Galaxy S23 user manual for Android 14 (One UI 6).
In addition to the comment box below, you can also reach us through the following channels:
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Enjoy your Galaxy S23!
My icon is not in this very extensive list.
It shows between the WiFi signal icon and the network signal icon.
It encompasses a phone handset on its side with a 1 and a small WiFi -like image. What is this icon?
It sounds like the network extender icon. The phone is connected to a network extender, instead of the cell tower directly.
I have an S 23.
I have 2 text symbols that appear on a few – but not all – of my texts by the name of the contact when I am on the page of the list of recent texts. What is this for?
Also, on those same texts, there are 2 check marks (meaning the message has been sent and delivered, right?). Why isn’t this on all texts?
Also, there is a lock symbol just under the last text sent or received on those same contacts. What does this mean?
THANKS!
First, on Galaxy S23, there are two Messages apps: one is by Samsung, the other is by Google? They differ significantly.
Which one are you using? If possible, share the screenshot (remove/hide all texts) through our facebook page so that we can see which icons you are refering to.