diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc
index 198d99be19..fc1f97c8cd 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ void Sidebar::updateState(const UIState &s) {
 
   auto deviceState = sm["deviceState"].getDeviceState();
   setProperty("netType", network_type[deviceState.getNetworkType()]);
-  setProperty("netStrength", signal_imgs[deviceState.getNetworkStrength()]);
+  setProperty("netStrength", (int)deviceState.getNetworkStrength());
 
   auto last_ping = deviceState.getLastAthenaPingTime();
   if (last_ping == 0) {
@@ -102,7 +102,14 @@ void Sidebar::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *event) {
   p.drawImage(60, 1080 - 180 - 40, home_img);
 
   // network
-  p.drawImage(58, 196, net_strength);
+  int x = 58;
+  const QColor gray(0x54, 0x54, 0x54);
+  for (int i = 0; i < 5; ++i) {
+    p.setBrush(i < net_strength ? Qt::white : gray);
+    p.drawEllipse(x, 196, 27, 27);
+    x += 37;
+  }
+
   configFont(p, "Open Sans", 35, "Regular");
   p.setPen(QColor(0xff, 0xff, 0xff));
   const QRect r = QRect(50, 247, 100, 50);
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h
index f03871045a..fe1ec63647 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class Sidebar : public QFrame {
   Q_PROPERTY(int tempVal MEMBER temp_val NOTIFY valueChanged);
   Q_PROPERTY(QColor tempStatus MEMBER temp_status NOTIFY valueChanged);
   Q_PROPERTY(QString netType MEMBER net_type NOTIFY valueChanged);
-  Q_PROPERTY(QImage netStrength MEMBER net_strength NOTIFY valueChanged);
+  Q_PROPERTY(int netStrength MEMBER net_strength NOTIFY valueChanged);
 
 public:
   explicit Sidebar(QWidget* parent = 0);
@@ -41,13 +41,6 @@ private:
     {cereal::DeviceState::NetworkType::CELL4_G, "LTE"},
     {cereal::DeviceState::NetworkType::CELL5_G, "5G"}
   };
-  const QMap<cereal::DeviceState::NetworkStrength, QImage> signal_imgs = {
-    {cereal::DeviceState::NetworkStrength::UNKNOWN, QImage("../assets/images/network_0.png")},
-    {cereal::DeviceState::NetworkStrength::POOR, QImage("../assets/images/network_1.png")},
-    {cereal::DeviceState::NetworkStrength::MODERATE, QImage("../assets/images/network_2.png")},
-    {cereal::DeviceState::NetworkStrength::GOOD, QImage("../assets/images/network_3.png")},
-    {cereal::DeviceState::NetworkStrength::GREAT, QImage("../assets/images/network_4.png")},
-  };
 
   const QRect settings_btn = QRect(50, 35, 200, 117);
   const QColor good_color = QColor(255, 255, 255);
@@ -61,5 +54,5 @@ private:
   int temp_val = 0;
   QColor temp_status = warning_color;
   QString net_type;
-  QImage net_strength;
+  int net_strength = 0;
 };