N icon on your Android display appears when utilizing the integrated NFC feature, and a rectangle with a Wi-Fi icon shows up during screen mirroring sessions. Another icon in the status bar you might see is one that resembles a key.
The key icon on your Android display signifies that you are connected to a VPN service. VPN — which stands for Virtual Private Network — provides a secure connection that protects you from online tracking and permits access to websites restricted by region. This is facilitated by concealing your actual IP address and utilizing the IP address of the VPN server. Every occasion you activate the VPN service on your Android device, a key icon will be displayed in your status bar. However, you can easily turn it off as well.
If you installed a complimentary VPN application on your Android device, such as Windscribe or ProtonVPN, and enabled it, it is quite simple to remove the key icon from your status bar. Just open the third-party VPN app and press the off or Disconnect button on the main screen.
If you configured a VPN directly through your phone’s settings and connected to it, you can also turn off the key icon on your Android using the Settings app. Open Settings, input VPN in the search field, and choose the result that appears. After that, deactivate the active VPN service you are connected to.
Some Android devices like the Google Pixel 7 and newer models also offer a built-in VPN service. To deactivate VPN on Pixel devices, follow these steps:
