Some Android smartphones display the Wi-Fi logo twice: Here's what it means and what to do

A mysterious double Wi-Fi logo has been gradually appearing on some Android smartphones, raising questions among users. Don't panic, this is a very useful new feature.

More and more Android smartphone users are experiencing this: the appearance of a second, smaller WiFi logo next to the usual icon in their smartphone's status bar. Is your phone buggy, a connection problem with your router, or your network being hacked?

Fortunately, none of that! In reality, this double symbol hides a feature called "Dual-Channel-Acceleration." Thanks to this feature, the smartphone can simultaneously connect to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi networks of the same router, instead of having to choose between one or the other.

The benefit is twofold. On the one hand, it allows for higher connection speeds by combining the bandwidth of both networks. On the other, it improves connection stability: if the signal weakens on one network, the smartphone automatically switches to the other to avoid interruptions.

This option will particularly appeal to users who need a high-performance connection, such as gamers or those who watch a lot of videos. But beware, some users on Reddit have reported a reduction in battery life. "Dual-Channel-Acceleration," introduced in 2019, is not present on all Android smartphones. It is mainly found on smartphones from Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Realme. Many OnePlus Note smartphone users are also reporting its presence on their devices.

If your smartphone has it, you can check and enable this feature. It's very simple. Usually, you just need to go to the smartphone's advanced WiFi settings and check the corresponding option, which may be called "Dual Channel Network Acceleration," "Double WiFi Acceleration," or a similar variant depending on the model and language used. Once enabled, the dual WiFi logo icon appears in the status bar to indicate that the feature is operational.