What Does a Hollow WiFi Icon Mean?

[Father Tech]

What is the meaning of a hollowed-out WiFi icon? Wish I could include a screenshot, but I can't find a way to do that.

It looks like a typical Android WiFi icon in the notification area, except only the lower half of the icon is filled in, and the filled in area is empty ('hollow') in the center.

EDIT: I found the 'trick' to posting a screenshot: First you compose your message, submit it, and then you edit it. Here's my screenshot:

 

[anon(632115)]

Check the 4th icon down on this link Notification icons in Moto X - Moto X Owners Community

 

[Father Tech]

Thanks for responding.

Yes, I saw that previously:

That doesn't look like the icon I'm asking about.

 

[anon(632115)]

Does it remain in situ or disappear if wifi is off? The other thing I though it may be is Wi-Fi calling icon

 

[Father Tech]

I wish I had WiFi calling!

The WiFi icon in my notification area alternates between the icon I initially posted and a 100% solid icon (i.e., completely filled from top to bottom, with no hollow portion.) That makes me think that the hollowed out icon is saying something about my WiFi signal - I'm just not sure what.

It might have something to do with the strength of the WiFi signal, but the icon is either hollow or full. There are no levels (like mobile signal bars.)

 

[anon(9983233)]

According to my search your "hollow" wifi signal indicates that you have a limited low strength signal that can download data or receive text and not send data/text images via wifi.

 

[Father Tech]

Thanks for your research.

I've done more observing of this icon's behavior, and here is what I've found:

I'm not that great on proper terminology. When I talk about the 'notification bar' I mean the bar that runs across the top of all screens in Android. When I talk about the 'settings drawer' I mean the settings screen that you see when you swipe down twice from the notifications bar. Some people call this 'quick settings.'

The icon I originally asked about is in the settings drawer, not the notification bar. In the notification bar, that icon is always solid white. It shows my WiFi signal strength, so the solid white part moves up and down as the signal strength changes.

In the settings drawer, the solid white part of the icon also moves up and down, in concert with the icon in the notification bar. But the icon in the notification bar is solid white while the icon in the settings drawer has the hollow area. So I'm asking: what is the difference between these two WiFi signal strength icons, one solid and the other hollow?

 

[anon(9983233)]

I'm not that great on proper terminology.

I would suspect others view my terminology differently also. A tool tray is a tool tray no matter where it's located..

I see no notable difference in either wifi icon, except that if your device has regular wifi icon which appears on a regular bases.. then all of a sudden you see a new wifi icon which may or may not be in the same location as the factory wifi icon.. this could be due to an app running in the back ground which has it's own way of connecting to a wifi host.

If the wifi image you posted would have shown the arrow point up and not down, then I would have said, that you have an app on your device which is sending a signal or data to the apps host served. But his not the case. The wifi icon in your picture shows the arrow point down, which means some data is downloading onto your device but is limited based on your connect and location.

So unless you know what app it is running this wifi command or even if the wifi icon is the same just displayed differently, is there a real issue here?. There could be IF this is not your typical wifi icon signal you're familiar with. Also, is there a particular area or zone where this icon is displayed?. If this always pop's up in the same general area and not within your home.. then it would seem to me that the host wifi service is limiting your wifi usage. But again when you accept the terms upon connecting to their service. Lord only knows that the host is doing or allowing you to do.

 

[Father Tech]

I really appreciate your help. Based on a great deal of observation - because I'm a technology geek at heart - I believe that the icon in the settings drawer is just a larger version of the icon in the notification bar.

If the icon in the notification bar was big enough, it too could display a hollow center. But it's a small icon, so it can only display WiFi signal strength. The icon in the settings drawer is larger, so it can also show when the WiFi signal is downloading - that's a downward pointing arrow in the icon I originally posted - or uploading, because I've also seen an upward pointing arrow inside the icon.

On other occasions I've seen downward and upward pointing arrows inside the icon in the settings drawer, which means that Pugs1957's reply above is probably correct and I owe him an apology.

 

[anon(632115)]

and[/I] upward pointing arrows inside the icon in the settings drawer, which means that Pugs1957's reply above is probably correct and I owe him an apology.

You don't owe me any apology. Brainstorming and trying to help resolve problems is what it's all about. Glad you got it cleared up.