If you look at the top of your Apple Watch’s dial, chances are you’ll see at least one icon up there, including the infamous ‘red dot on Apple Watch‘. However, while there are a bunch of icons that the Apple Watch displays on the dial, there are a lot more in places like the Control Center. So if you’re just as confused about them as I was when I first started using the Apple Watch, here is your definitive guide to all Apple Watch icon meanings.
In this article, we have discussed the meaning of all Apple Watch icons that you can find in watchOS 8. You can use the table of content below to see a list of all the icon names. You can also a click on a name to move to its corresponding position in the article:
1. Red Dot Icon
This icon signifies that there are unread notifications on your Apple Watch. Swipe down from the top to access the Notification Center to view them. From within an app, you can long press on the top edge of the screen and then swipe down to get to the Notification Center.
The green flash icon on Apple Watch shows that your Apple Watch is currently charging on its dock.
3. Low Battery Icon
If you’re seeing a red flash icon on your Watch, it means the Apple Watch battery is low. Place your watch on the supplied charging cradle to recharge the battery. Also check out our guide on how you can improve battery life on Apple Watch series 6, if you are seeing this icon more than you would like.
The lock icon appears when your Apple Watch has been locked with a passcode. This happens automatically when you take your watch off your wrist. However, if you have disabled wrist detection, you can lock your Apple Watch from the Control Center.
This icon only appears in Apple Watch Series 2 and above. It appears when the Water Lock mode is turned on from the Control Center. With this mode, the Apple Watch doesn’t respond to touches in order to prevent accidental touches from exposure to water.
Note: If you want to remove water from your iPhone’s speaker, click on the link to follow our guide.
The moon icon shows up when Do Not Disturb has been turned on. When you see this icon, it means that calls and alerts will not make a sound or light up the screen. However, the Apple Watch will still ring your alarms.
This icon appears when Airplane Mode is enabled on the Apple Watch. You will not have access to wireless features of the watch, but non wireless functionality remains available.
This icons signifies that Theater Mode is enabled. In this mode, the Apple Watch screen doesn’t light up when you receive notifications, and Always on Display is turned off.
9. Workout Icon
This icon appears when you have a workout in progress. You can tap on this icon to go to the workout tracking screen in order to pause/end the workout.
This icon appears if your Apple Watch (GPS + Cellular) has lost its connection to the cellular network.
This icon appears if your Apple Watch has gotten disconnected from the iPhone it is paired with. Try moving the devices closer together, turning off Airplane Mode if it’s enabled, or restarting your watch.
This icon appears in the Control Center while your iPhone is connected to the Apple Watch.
The location indicator shows up when an app has used or is using your location on the Watch. Do note that this indicator also shows up if you’re using a watch face that needs access to your location for providing information such as weather details.
14. WiFi Icon
This icon appears when the Apple Watch is connected to a WiFi network.
The Wireless Activity icon shows up when a wireless activity is taking place, or an active process is happening.
watchOS 7 brings a new mic icon that’s orange in color. This shows up when your Watch is listening to audio. The mic icon will pop up when you’re talking to Siri, recording a voice memo, or when the Apple Watch is using the mic for other features such as handwash detection and walkie-talkie.
If you’re using a cellular Apple Watch, the LTE icon will show up to signify the signal strength.
The Now Playing icon shows up when there is music playing on your Apple Watch, or on your iPhone. You can tap on this icon to open the Now Playing app and control playback of media.
19. Call Icon
When you’re on a phone call, either on your iPhone or via the Apple Watch, this icon shows up. You can tap on this icon to get to the call screen.
The Maps icon shows up on the Apple Watch when the Apple Maps app is being used to provide directions.
The navigation icon shows up on the Apple Watch if a third party maps app is providing directions on the watch.
The walkie talkie icon shows up on the Apple Watch when you’ve enabled Walkie Talkie mode on your watch. The icon signifies that your contacts can contact you via Walkie Talkie.
This icon shows up when the ‘Driving’ focus mode is enabled on your iPhone. Focus modes sync across all your Apple devices automatically.
24. Low Power Mode Icon (Yellow Circle)
If you see a yellow circle on top of your watch face, it signifies that the Apple Watch Low Power Mode is turned on. You can turn this off from the Control Center or by heading into the battery settings for your watch.
25. Cellular Icon
This icon enables or disables the cellular connection on Apple Watches with eSIM capability.
Tapping on this icon toggles WiFi on the Apple Watch.
This icon is meant to help find your paired iPhone. Tapping on this makes your iPhone beep loudly so you can locate it.
28. Battery Percentage
This icon shows the current battery percentage on your Apple Watch. Moreover, tapping on this icon brings up the option to put your watch on ‘Power Reserve’
Tap on this icon to toggle Silent Mode on and off. The icon changes between a regular bell icon, and a crossed out bell icon to signify which mode the Apple Watch is in.
Turn on flashlight on your Apple Watch. There are three flashlight modes in the watch. You can choose between them by swiping across the screen.
This icon lets you choose the audio output you want to use with your Apple Watch.
The sleep mode icon (bed icon) on Apple Watch shows up in the Control Center and the Apple Watch face when your bedtime starts.
During bedtime, your Apple Watch turns off the Always on Display, and goes into Do Not Disturb mode. You can set up sleep detection on your Apple Watch to track your sleep every night and be woken with an alarm at the time of your choosing.
The Schooltime icon is present in the Control Center on the Apple Watch. When Schooltime is enabled, the icon has a yellow color, and the watch’s features are limited to prevent distractions during school hours.
This icon shows up when you enable the “Personal” Focus Mode on your Apple Watch, or any of your Apple devices. It will show up on your Apple Watch face, as well as within the control center.
Similar to the Personal icon, the Work icon shows up when you enable the “Work” focus mode on your Apple Watch or any of your Apple devices. The icon shows up on both the Apple Watch face as well as within the control center.
