Also, sometimes you really need some text beside your indicator arrow. On the native email app on the iPad, my Dad repeatedly cannot figure out how to reply to an email (despite it being the principle thing he wants to do), because the icon (a curved arrow) lies among 3 other icons of equal obscurity (to him).

Another compromise solution is to put text on the page, but to grey it out, or otherwise make it less visually distinctive according to it's lack of importance.