XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone, comp.mobile.android   
   From: Ancient-of-Days@Heaven.Net   
      
   nospam  asked   
   >>>   
   >>> How do you easily tell which network (Wi-Fi versus Cellular) is being used?   
   >>   
   >> You're making this more complicated than it is.   
   >   
   > actually, he isn't. it's just another one of his pointless ideas.   
      
   Understanding what the phone is doing is, of course, "pointless" to nospam.   
      
   It's about understanding what the phone is doing with data at any instant.   
   a. Is the phone currently transmitting cellular data (at this instant)?   
   b. Is the phone currently transmitting Wi-Fi data (at this instant)?   
   c. Is the phone currently connected to a roaming tower for data?   
      (which we solved)   
      
   Apparently nospam can't conceive of anyone wanting data he himself, doesn't.   
   Unlike nospam, I prefer to always learn what my phone is doing at all times.   
      
   >> On both Android and iOS   
   >> devices, if the device is connected to Wi-Fi, for data, then the LTE or   
   >> 5G indicator goes out. When the Wi-Fi signal is unusable, or if you turn   
   >> off Wi-Fi, the LTE or 5G symbol turns on (or in rare cases the 3G symbol).   
   >   
   > that means nothing.   
      
   This is about knowledge of _when_ data is being consumed, and how.   
   Just as the instantaneous charge indicator is about an instant datum.   
      
   > the lack of an lte or 5g indicator doesn't mean there's no cellular   
   > service, as you indicate below.   
      
   It seems the status bar Wi-Fi icon _does_ indicate when it's consuming data   
   (apparently) by an addition of lit up/down arrows - but those tiny up/down   
   arrows are far to puny to see with my eyes except in an enlarged screenshot.   
       
      
   > the wifi icon just means the device has associated with a wifi base   
   > station. it does not mean that wifi network has a valid route to the   
   > internet. if it doesn't, the device may continue to use cellular in   
   > some cases. in other cases, it will use wifi and fail to connect.   
      
   The LTE icon also has those tiny up/down arrows but I'm not sure they   
   indicate anything (even if they did - they're even smaller to see).   
       
      
   Even so, the 5G icon does not appear to have those tiny up/down arrows.   
      
   >> VoLTE is still active of course, even when LTE data is off, and you can   
   >> still receive SMS, but neither of these consume data.   
   >   
   > in other words, the lte icon means nothing.   
      
   What I am asking for is an easy way to tell between these situations:   
   a. The phone is not consuming wi-fi data or cellular data (at this instant).   
   b. The phone is consuming wi-fi or cellular data (at this instant).   
   c. And, I've added a new need, which is solved, which is roaming data.   
      
   With iOS, we almost always are forced to "just give up"; but with Android   
   there is always (almost) a solution to any desire we have with the phone.   
      
   Just like there was with the instantaneous charge-direction icon.   
       
      
   We will solve it, and Jeff's suggested tool was a fantastic find also.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)