blue vs gray signal strength

[dullgeek]

My signal strength indicator, along with the 3G, 4G and WIFI signal indicators are usually either blue or gray. What do those different colors mean?

In the photon's manual it shows both colors, but doesn't explain their significance.

 

[dago350]

I believe it just means of your connected to google services or not.

 

[dullgeek]

What does it mean to be connected to google services?

I see a swirly "sync" looking icon (see above link to photon manual). Which I took to mean it was syncing my accounts with their backend services, of which I have only google and facebook. Is that different from being connected to google services?

 

[Mister_RnB]

My signal strength indicator, along with the 3G, 4G and WIFI signal indicators are usually either blue or gray. What do those different colors mean?

In the photon's manual it shows both colors, but doesn't explain their significance.

when its grey data is not running and when its blue it is.

 

[dullgeek]

when its grey data is not running and when its blue it is.

That doesn't seem right. Because there are times when its grey that I can still get access to data. It eventually turns blue and stays there. Also there are times when I have phone signal no 1x, 3g, or 4g icon. That seems to me when its not connected to data.

But of course I don't know.

 

[RBrown9180]

when its grey data is not running and when its blue it is.

I believe this is correct

 

[Beach_Head]

AFAIK, Blue means background data is enabled and Gray means background data is disabled. The colors also switch around a few seconds while your phone switches between bands (GPRS to EDGE to 3G to 4G, etc.)

You can try it out yourselves by going to Settings -> Battery and Data Manager -> Data Delivery and then checking and unchecking the Background Data checkbox...

 

[scoobdude]

Explanation of connected to google services is correct.
www.google.com/googlephone/AndroidUsersGuide-2.3.pdf

Page 27 folks

"Network status icons turn green if you have a Google Account added to your phone
and the phone is connected to Google services, for syncing your Gmail, Calendar
events, contacts, for backing up your settings, and so on. If you don?t have a Google
Account or if, for example, you?re connected to a Wi-Fi network that is not connected
to the Internet, the network icons are white."

 

[Tiffy]

I've never seen my icons turn green or white...only blue and grey.

 

[scoobdude]

I've never seen my icons turn green or white...only blue and grey.

That is because the mopho has s blue theme instead of a green/orange one. On a menu if you slide your fonger to fst you will get a blue haze, this is orange on stock gingerbread which is ehat the manual is for. Moto themed this phone with s blue theme.

 

[ArchangelRenzoku]

your explanations do not fit what is actually happening. I am experiencing the same thing. my phone is set to cdma only. no roaming guard, no gsm. there are verizon towers nearby with comparable signal strength. sometimes the icon is blue, sometimes the icon is grey. I don't understand either. I have tried with the same results wether my google account is attached or not.

 

[vee]

I always thought grey meant 1x for data. It can't just be in my head lol, when it's grey, my 3g is so much slower than blue. Same with WiFi

 

[k3rnel]

With my phone the symbols are gray when background data is turned off, and blue when background data is turned on. Try turning it on and off a couple of times, see if it doesn't change the color.

You may also have an app installed (like JuiceDefender) that is doing this automatically depending on what apps you have open.

 

[dullgeek]

With my phone the symbols are gray when background data is turned off, and blue when background data is turned on.

This matches my experience. So I assume blue means background data is on while grey means its off.


Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

 

[Gamalin]

I have this problem too. When it goes Grey I have no internet, cant send msg's etc etc. It seems that it means the same as your wifi icon. That is to say, when it is blue you are connected to a hot spot and logged in, when it is grey you have a connection but are not logged in (able to use that connection)
So with the data icon i would presume that you are physcally (if you get mey meaning) connected (as in your phone can see the signal waves) but the signal is not authenticating your connection. I had this a while back and when I contacted my provider, they said it sounded like my sim card was failing and a free replacement sorted it fine.
Other than that I find the the annoying reboot of my phone sorts it.
I have searched the net quite a bit and no one is able to give a satisfactory answer. The background data may be correct but not to the OP query as this happens without anyone touching the settings and also I fail to see that the connection to google services makes a difference (but please correct me if i am wrong in this) as sending txt messages surely only needs you to be connected to your provider??

 

[tirith]

Text messages are provided through the voice signal (aka signal bars)

Gray means data is idle.
Blue means data is active.



Swyped from my Galaxy Note II on the Now Network

 

[Gamalin]

Text messages are provided through the voice signal (aka signal bars)

Gray means data is idle.
Blue means data is active.



Swyped from my Galaxy Note II on the Now Network

Yes this is basically understood, the question is, is why do the bars go into idle mode without any prompting from the user. The signal is strong etc, the phone hasnt moved into a bad zone (so to speak) it just decides it want to go grey. Reboot the phone and all seems fine again. Surely for something that is so important there must be a way of forcing the phone to reconnect (to become active again).

As i said before the only real solution i have found is to replace my SIM, but surely that cant be it...

 

[tirith]

If you aren't on gsm, replacing the sim well do nothing...

Might want to try a factory reset... mine did it occasionally but always fixed itself...

Sprint, right? Try calling and have them reset your data...

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

[effenpig1]

I always thought grey meant 1x for dIt can't just be in my head lol, when it's grey, my 3g is so much slower than blue. Same with WiFi

Speaking of which what does it mean when there's a 1x symbol in the place where the wifi signal symbol normally is?

 

[tirith]

You are on a 1x data signal. Slow speeds

~swyped from a galaxy (note 2) far far away