What is this symbol on status bar?

ProustGiulio wrote:

This icon appears on the status bar when your iPad is trying to sync with iTunes on your Mac or PC.

That's what I was wondering yesterday but it does not exactly match the icon for syncing in Learn the meaning of the iPhone status icons - Apple Support

The one in the original post has the gearwheel in the middle which is not in the image shown in the support article.

You may be right, Limnos, but on the other hand, in all the Apple support articles I have been able to consult (this support page included Learn the meaning of the iPad status icons) there is no precise reference to that symbol.

I have never seen it on either the iPhone or the iPad, and I assume that inside the 2 curved and opposing arrows there may be a reference to what the device is actually trying to synchronize.

This icon appears on the status bar when your iPad is trying to sync with iTunes on your Mac or PC.