Genshin Impact icons and what they mean

Struggling to decode the cryptic hieroglyphics of the Genshin UI? Well, don’t worry fellow traveler, we’re here to help. With our Genshin Impact icons guide, we take a look at all those mysterious little symbols that appear around your screen and on the minimap, so you’ll know exactly what you’re looking at. Whether you’re new to the game, or a returning player in need of a refresher, we’ve got your back.

If you’re looking for more help on your journey through Teyvat, be sure to check out our Genshin Impact weapons, Genshin Impact artifacts, and Genshin Impact tier list. We’ve also got info on the Genshin Impact next banner and Genshin Impact events so you can keep up to date with everything happening in this fun fantasy world.

Genshin Impact icons on the minimap

Your minimap is displayed at the top-left corner of your screen, and shows you what’s in your immediate area. Sometimes small icons appear, noting items or locations of interest. So, here’s what each of the icons signifies.

What does the Genshin Impact hand icon on the minimap mean?

Certain characters have resource abilities that show you where local specialities can be found. These are marked with a hand icon. The characters with resource abilities are:

Additionally, Genshin Impact’s Ningguang marks nearby ore veins on the minimap all over Teyvat.

What does the Genshin Impact star icon on the minimap mean?

The star icon means there are nearby oculi to be collected. Oculi are the items needed to upgrade the Statues of the Seven, and currently come in these different types:

• Anemoculus (Mondstadt)
• Geoculus (Liyue)
• Electroculus (Inazuma)
• Dendroculus (Sumeru)

Levelling up the statues of the seven gives you various rewards and buffs within the region. You need to be quite close to the oculus for the star icon to appear. If you’re having trouble locating them, you can forge the corresponding oculus resonance stone at a crafting bench – these are single-use items that mark out the location of the oculus on the minimap from a further distance. You can also take a look at our Genshin Impact map guide.

Other Genshin Impact icons on the minimap

There are a couple more icons that show up on the map. In cities, you can come across icons marking the fishing association, crafting benches, blacksmiths, restaurants, and other establishments, but all of these are pretty self-explanatory. If you’ve recently tracked competitors with your Genshin Impact TCG deck, a blue card will also show up on your map and minimap to show NPCs ready to battle.

Outside of that, here are some of the more cryptic icons that crop up.

Key Sigils

Key Sigils appear on the minimap around Enkanomiya. There are five of them in total, and they’re used to release the seal with the matching image.

Crimson Agate

When traversing Dragonspine, nearby crimson agate is marked on the minimap with a small crystal-like icon. These can be used to upgrade the frost-bearing tree for multiple rewards including wishes, hero’s wit, and even a set of wings and a namecard at the higher levels.

Wormholes

Wormholes are shown on the minimap as a small portal. There are several currently available across the world.

In Mondstadt:

• Cape Oath to Musk Reef for the Spiral Abyss entrance

In Inazuma:

• Jinren Island to an underwater ruin, home to the Perpetual Mechanical Array world boss

In Enkanomiya:

• The Emanant Skylight at the Evernight Temple
• The Emanant Skylight at The Narrows
• The Emanant Skylight at The Serpent’s Heart

Waverider Waypoint

The four-point star with swirls around it that appears on both the map and minimap is a Waverider Waypoint, where you can summon a Waverider ship.

Genshin Impact icons along the top of the screen

These are the icons that appear at the top of the screen. They can also be seen in the quick-access wheel.

• Compass: this is the events tab, where you can get a rundown of each of the current Genshin Impact events
• Wings around a star: this is the battle pass, where you get rewards for completing certain missions. There’s a basic version that is free, or a paid version called the Gnostic Hymn.
• Large star with two smaller stars: this is a shortcut to the wish banners, where you can pull new characters
• Open book: this is the Adventurer’s Handbook. Here, you can claim rewards for completing certain missions and milestones, look at all the available domains and what rewards they give, and check out all the bosses you can fight.
• Backpack: this is the Traveler’s backpack, where you can find all of your items

Genshin Impact icons on the left-hand side of the menu

• Camera: naturally, this is a camera! It allows you to take a snapshot of your screen
• Notice board: this is where you can find all the latest information from the developers, including patch notes, upcoming events, and more
• Envelope: this is your mailbox, where you’ll receive gifts from friends (and characters sometimes), reminders when an event is about to end, free primogems after maintenance is complete, and more
• Clock: this allows you to skip time in-game – handy for when quests want you to return to the location at a specific time
• Cog: like most games, the cog will take you to a settings menu

And that’s everything in our Genshin Impact icons guide. If you’re looking for more story-driven fun, check out our list of the best mobile RPGs to find something new to play.