Understanding the Arrow Next to Time on iPhone: What It Means

Ever glanced at the time on your iPhone and thought, “What is the arrow in the top left corner of my iPhone?” Don’t worry, your phone isn’t broken! That arrow is actually an important indicator with a simple meaning. Read more to find out!

Quick Answer

The arrow icon next to the time on your iPhone actually indicates that some app is currently using your iPhone’s location. The arrow goes away once the app stops using your iPhone’s location. So don’t be alarmed if you suddenly notice it next to the time – it’s simply a white location arrow icon.

What Does Arrow Icon in Status Bar Menu Mean?

Are you also trying to understand the iPhone symbols on top of the screen? Especially the arrow icon? It actually indicates that location services are active. When an app is using your device’s location in the background, this small arrow icon appears in the status bar.

For example, if Google Maps is providing turn-by-turn directions or Uber is tracking your driver’s progress, you’ll see the arrow to note that location access is ongoing. It assures you that the app is pulling your real-time location data with your permission.

Top 5 Ways to Remove Arrow Icon

Here are some quick hacks to get rid of the arrow icon on iPhone:

Use Airplane mode

When you activate Airplane mode, it cuts off all wireless connections, including GPS. This stops any app from accessing your location, making the arrow icon disappear. Airplane mode is the quickest fix to make the arrow go away temporarily.

Disable location services system-wide

You can turn off location access for all apps in one fell swoop by going to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and switching it to “Never”. However, this restricts every app from getting your location until you re-enable it.

Tape over the front camera

A bit unorthodox, but placing a small piece of tape over the front camera prevents the use of facial location tagging. Apps like Facebook sometimes identify locations by scanning your surroundings. Block the camera, and they can’t do that!

Disable the Status Bar Icon

Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services and toggle off the Status Bar Icon. This prevents the arrow from appearing even if location access is enabled.

Restrict Apps From Accessing Your Location

In Settings, select Privacy > Location Services, then set location access to “Never” for specific apps. This stops them from getting your location and showing the arrow.

Conclusion

While it may seem unusual at first, the arrow is actually providing transparency into how apps utilize your information. And if seeing that arrow bothers you, no worries! Just go into your location settings to restrict access, disable the status bar icon, or troubleshoot problematic apps.

FAQs

Go to Settings, Privacy, Location Services and toggle off the Status Bar Icon. You can also restrict location access for specific apps.

The arrow icon means an app is actively using your location in the background. Check location access for apps and restrict ones you don’t want tracking you.

The arrow indicates location services are enabled and an app is accessing your iPhone’s location. It’s normal for maps, weather and other apps needing your location.

Just like the person icon next to the time on your iPhone typically signifies that your phone is on “Personal Focus” in the same way the circled blue arrow pops up when you’re using an app or website that wants to know where you are. It often shows up when a website asks for your location while you’re browsing.

Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and check which apps have recently requested your location under the “Recent Location Requests” section – the arrow must be purple.

The arrow icon next to the time indicates an app is actively using your iPhone’s location data in the background.

James Wilson

James Wilson is a seasoned tech enthusiast with a passion for all things Apple. With years of experience troubleshooting and fixing iPhone issues, he brings a wealth of knowledge to “My Tech Simply.” James’s dedication to helping iPhone users find simple and effective solutions shines through in his articles.