The appearance of a small lock symbol in the upper-left corner of the screen on a Samsung Android device typically signifies that an application or system process is actively utilizing location services, VPN (Virtual Private Network), or other privacy-related features. For example, when an application is accessing your device’s GPS data in the background, or a VPN connection is established, this icon serves as a visual indicator of ongoing activity.
This visual cue offers immediate reassurance that user privacy is actively being managed and protected. Its presence informs the user of processes operating with specific permissions, helping to increase awareness of app behavior and promote data security. In the past, users often lacked easily accessible indicators of these background processes, making this feature an important step toward transparency and user control.
