Air Conditioner Modes and Remote Symbols Explained

Most air conditioners have the same core modes. Cool lowers the temperature, Dry removes moisture with light cooling, Fan moves air with the compressor off, Auto picks heating or cooling for you, and Heat (on heat pumps) warms the room. The other buttons change how a mode runs: Eco and Sleep save energy, Quiet and Turbo trade noise for speed, Timer and Swing control when and where the air goes, and Self Clean and Anti-Mildew dry out the unit. Symbols vary by brand, so the tables below quote what each maker's own manual calls them.

Every AC mode in one table

The symbol column shows the label or icon the makers' documentation uses. Icon designs differ between remotes, so treat it as a guide and check your manual for the exact picture.

On units that heat, there is also Heat mode, shown as a sun in Senville's guide. Senville says it reverses the cycle to bring heat inside, and that it can take a few minutes to start blowing warm air. Our guide to how a heat pump works in winter explains that cycle.

What each mode does

Cool mode

Cool is the standard cooling setting. Senville's mode guide marks it with a snowflake and says it removes heat, and some humidity, to cool the room. GE's portable air conditioner manual says the compressor cycles on and off to hold the set temperature. Senville suggests starting 2 to 3°F below the room temperature. Use it whenever the room is too warm. More in our cool mode guide.

Dry mode

Dry is the water droplet. It removes moisture while cooling only lightly. LG says its dehumidification operation maintains "a low cooling level," and Senville says Dry runs at low fan speed with little change in temperature. MrCool, GE and Pioneer all lock the fan speed in Dry. Use it on humid days that are not hot. More in our dry mode guide and the dry vs cool comparison.

Auto mode

Auto lets the unit decide. Senville says it switches between heating and cooling to hold your set temperature, and suggests it for mild or changing weather. MrCool's mini split remote manual says Auto selects Cool, Fan or Heat based on the set temperature, and that you cannot set the fan speed in Auto. More in our auto mode guide.

Fan mode

Fan runs the indoor fan with no heating or cooling. Daikin Malaysia's guide to cool, dry and fan says the compressor is off and neither temperature nor humidity changes. Senville says it uses the least energy of the modes. GE adds that its units show no set temperature in Fan mode. Use it when the room is comfortable and only stuffy. More in our fan mode guide.

Eco mode

Eco means different things to different makers:

• MrCool's ECO works only in Cool and sets the temperature to 75°F with an auto fan if you had it lower.
• Pioneer's app guide allows Eco in Cool at 79°F or above, or in Heat at 77°F or below.
• Mitsubishi Electric's Econo Cool temporarily adjusts airflow to keep you comfortable on less energy.
• Frigidaire's Energy Saver turns the unit on and off at intervals to hold the set temperature.

Read your manual before relying on it. More in our eco mode guide.

Timer

The timer turns the unit on or off after a delay you choose. MrCool's remote sets it in 30-minute steps up to 10 hours, then in 1-hour steps up to 24, counted from the current time. GE's portable units take 1 to 24 hours. Frigidaire's FFRA1222U spec sheet lists a 24-hour on/off timer in half-hour increments. Gree's remotes label the two settings T-ON and T-OFF. More in our timer guide.

Sleep mode

Sleep eases the unit through the night. Frigidaire says that with Sleep Mode the temperature gradually increases a few degrees over the evening. MrCool says its sleep function is meant to decrease energy use while you sleep and is not available in Fan or Dry. Pioneer allows it only in Cool and Heat and returns the unit to the previous mode after 10 hours. Gree's quick guide describes Sleep as custom comfort control while sleeping and sends owners to the manual for the details. More in our sleep mode guide.

Quiet mode

Quiet slows things down to cut noise. GE's APHS portable manual says Quiet reduces noise while cooling and sets the fan speed automatically, and changing the fan speed puts the unit back in Cool. MrCool calls it Silence: you hold the Fan button for 2 seconds, and it warns that the low compressor speed may leave cooling or heating short. Mitsubishi Electric lists a three-stage low-noise mode for some outdoor units. More in our quiet mode guide.

Turbo mode

Turbo is the opposite of Quiet. MrCool says Turbo in Cool blows cool air at the strongest wind setting to jump-start cooling, and some of its units do the same in Heat. Gree describes it as the quickest way to reach the preset temperature. Mitsubishi Electric's feature glossary calls its version Powerful Mode, which temporarily drops or raises the set temperature. Use it for a short burst, then go back to normal. More in our turbo mode guide.

Swing mode

Swing moves the louvers on their own so the air sweeps the room. MrCool's remote swings the horizontal louver up and down, and a 2-second press starts the vertical louver. Gree remotes have separate buttons for left and right and for up and down. Mitsubishi Electric compares the effect to an oscillating fan. Stop the swing when you want air aimed at one spot. More in our swing mode guide.

Self clean mode

Self clean works differently by brand. MrCool's Clean function freezes and then rapidly thaws frost on the heat exchanger to wash away dust, mold and grease, shows CL on the display, and turns the unit off after 20 to 45 minutes. Mitsubishi Electric describes its Self Clean Mode as drying the parts inside the indoor unit to prevent moisture buildup and odors. Gree starts its Auto-Clean by holding MODE and FAN together for 5 seconds. More in our self clean guide.

Anti-mildew mode

Anti-mildew dries the unit after you turn it off. Pioneer says the function starts once the unit is switched off, dries it to reduce leftover moisture and prevent mold, and then turns off by itself. In Pioneer's app it sits under the More button, which some models lack. Not every brand uses this name, so check your manual. More in our anti-mildew guide.

Reading your remote's symbols by brand

Here is what each maker's own documentation calls the main modes and buttons. If your remote has a function your unit lacks, MrCool notes that pressing that button simply does nothing.

A few other buttons turn up often:

• I Feel or Follow Me: the remote measures the temperature where you sit. Gree calls it I Feel, and MrCool calls it Follow Me, sending a reading every 3 minutes.
• LED or Light: turns the indoor unit's display on and off (MrCool, Gree).
• 46°F heat: a heating setting that holds the room at about 46°F. MrCool calls it FP, and Pioneer lists it as 46°F Heat.
• Lock: MrCool locks the buttons when you hold Clean and Turbo together for more than 5 seconds.

If the remote stops working or the unit ignores every button, our guide to resetting an air conditioner is the place to start.

Which mode to pick

Two notes from ENERGY STAR's room air conditioner guidance apply whatever mode you use. Set the thermostat as high as is comfortable, typically 78°F, to save energy. And on humid days, a low fan speed removes more moisture, because the air moves more slowly over the coil.