What Do the Fitbit Symbols Mean? A Simple Guide
Your Fitbit symbols are small icons that show your steps, heart rate, sleep, battery, and phone connection at a glance. A footprint means steps. A heart means heart rate. A moon means sleep or Do Not Disturb. A water drop means water lock. If you see a phone with a slash, your Fitbit lost its connection.
The exact Fitbit symbols change a little from model to model. Most of them look the same across the Charge, Inspire, Versa, and Sense lines.
Here is what each one is telling you, and what to do when a symbol means something is wrong.
Why your Fitbit uses symbols
A Fitbit screen is tiny. Symbols pack a lot of meaning into a small space.
Some icons show your daily stats. Others live in a Quick Settings menu that controls the device itself.
One more thing changed in 2026. The Fitbit app became the Google Health app on May 19, 2026. The symbols on your wrist did not change, but the app you sync to did.
Fitbit stat symbols (your daily numbers)
These icons show your activity for the day. Swipe or tap through the screens to see them.
- Footprint or shoe: your step count for the day.
- Flame: calories burned so far.
- Heart: your current heart rate in beats per minute. It can also show resting heart rate.
- Lightning bolt or tower: floors climbed on models that track elevation.
- Running figure or stopwatch: active minutes, now called Active Zone Minutes on newer models.
- Moon: your sleep score or last night of sleep.
- Distance marker: miles or kilometers traveled.
Three upward arrows on older models meant your hourly move goal. It nudges you to get up and take 250 steps in the hour.
Fitbit status symbols (device and connection)
These icons tell you how your Fitbit is doing, not how you are doing.
- Battery: a full bar means plenty of charge. A nearly empty or red battery means charge it soon.
- Bluetooth or phone icon: your Fitbit is connected to your phone and can sync.
- Phone with a slash, or a broken sync icon: the connection dropped. Your steps are still saved on the device, they just are not reaching the app.
- Bell: an alarm or reminder is set.
- Satellite or GPS icon: the device is finding a GPS signal for a workout.
If you see the dropped connection icon a lot, that is a sync problem, not a broken tracker. Our guide on fixing a Fitbit that will not sync in the Google Health app walks through it.
Fitbit Quick Settings symbols
Press and hold or swipe to open Quick Settings. These symbols turn features on and off.
- Moon (Do Not Disturb): silences all notifications and alerts. Your alarms still work.
- Water drop (water lock): locks the screen so water does not trigger taps. This matters in the pool.
- Sleep mode icon: dims the screen and mutes alerts overnight.
- Screen wake or brightness icon: controls whether the screen turns on when you raise your wrist.
The water drop is worth knowing if you swim. On the Charge 5 and 6, Inspire 2 and 3, and Luxe, water lock can turn on when you start a swim. The Versa 2 only has manual water lock, so you turn it on yourself.
Want to know if your model can even go in the water? See our guide on whether the Fitbit Versa 2 is waterproof.
What to do when a symbol means trouble
A red battery means charge it now. Snap the charger onto the back of the device until it clicks.
A dropped connection icon usually clears after you open the Google Health app and pull down to sync.
A frozen symbol that will not change can mean the device needs a restart. Hold the button for about 10 seconds until the logo appears.
If your battery symbol keeps dropping fast, that can be a sign of a worn out battery. Here is why a Fitbit loses battery so quickly, and how long a Fitbit lasts before you need a replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there a phone with a line through it on my Fitbit?
That means the device lost its Bluetooth link to your phone. Your data is safe on the tracker. Open the Google Health app and sync to reconnect.
What does the water drop icon mean on a Fitbit?
It means water lock is on. The screen ignores taps so water cannot control it. Turn it off by tapping and holding the screen, or by pressing the button, once you are out of the water.
Do all Fitbit models use the same symbols?
Most are the same or very close. A Charge shows the same heart and battery icons as a Versa. Higher end models add a few extra icons for apps and GPS.
Where did the Fitbit app go?
It became the Google Health app on May 19, 2026. Your device and its symbols stayed the same. You just sync to the new app now.