Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
I have a weird oval icon at the top bar of my screen of my ipad mini when on the lock screen (see pic).
When I unlock the ipad, it changes to ....
Anyone know what this is? What causes it? I'm on iOS 12.1.1.
Apple Support just suggested I reinstall the OS. If that doesn't make it go away, I should do a factory reset.
iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular
This is a bug introduced within iOS 12.x. It appears to be cosmetic - as no serious functionality impairment seems to accompany the “blob”.
The trigger condition appears to be an “inactive” SIM being present in the SIM tray. The “blob icon” appears in place of the new cellular signal icon. Airplane mode clears the bug whilst enabled.
You can resolve the problem by replacing the inactive/expired SIM for an active (live) SIM. Once the bug has been triggered, simply removing the SIM does not appear to resolve the blob-icon. Forced-restart or settings-reset also does not resolve the bug.
You can always file a feedback report for the bug via the Apple feedback portal:
https://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html
Similarly, you could seek assistance directly from Apple Support - using the link at the top-right of this page.
Hope this helps.
This is a bug introduced within iOS 12.x. It appears to be cosmetic - as no serious functionality impairment seems to accompany the “blob”.
The trigger condition appears to be an “inactive” SIM being present in the SIM tray. The “blob icon” appears in place of the new cellular signal icon. Airplane mode clears the bug whilst enabled.
You can resolve the problem by replacing the inactive/expired SIM for an active (live) SIM. Once the bug has been triggered, simply removing the SIM does not appear to resolve the blob-icon. Forced-restart or settings-reset also does not resolve the bug.
You can always file a feedback report for the bug via the Apple feedback portal:
https://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html
Similarly, you could seek assistance directly from Apple Support - using the link at the top-right of this page.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the great reply. I assumed it was a small glitch that would be fixed in a future release.
I did reach out to support and as mentioned, the recommended reinstalling the OS through iTunes, as I did it through Wifi. They said wifi may introduce corruptions, but I didn't buy it because I would assume the installer would have some sort of checksum prior to performing an upgrade.
Then they suggested I do a factory reset. Here is their last recommendation "Then you should backup your iPad, and restore it to factory settings to test if the issue occurs without any modifications to its software. If that still doesn’t work, you’ll want to get your iPad into an Apple-Authorized Service Provider or Apple Retail Store for inspection, as there may be a larger issue with it."
Your explanation makes sense since my ipad is a Cellular version, but I don't have a SIM card.
Your report, adding useful information to my own knowledge-base, is the first that I’ve noted where an inactive SIM wasn’t present in the SIM slot. As you’re not using cellular data with your iPad, whilst the blob is a distraction, it shouldn’t cause you any significant functional issues.
Please let us all know if you experience any related problems.
LP
weird oval icon on top bar of ipad mini on lock screen
