Symbols · Emoji 1.0
⏯️Play Or Pause Button Emoji
Generally, it just means “play” or “pause.” It’s a quick way to indicate you’re starting or stopping something you're watching or listening to.
The ⏯️ emoji is the play/pause button.
- Unicode
- U+23EF U+FE0F
- Released
- 2015
- Shortcode
- :black_
right_ pointing_ triangle_ with_ double_ vertical_ bar: - Skin tones
- No
01 — Meaning
What does the ⏯️ Play Or Pause Button emoji mean?
One character, many names — these are the wordings people actually type, all 6 of them.
02 — Platforms
Play Or Pause Button emoji on iPhone, Android, WhatsApp and X
Vendors keep repainting this one. Counting the archived versions further down, the play or pause button has been drawn in 3 ways.
See the whole set the way each system draws it — iPhone emojis, Android emojis, WhatsApp emojis and Discord emojis.
03 — Copy & codes
Play Or Pause Button emoji copy and paste
Everything here is the same character in different notation — including the shortcode chat apps know it by, :black_right_pointing_triangle_with_double_vertical_bar:.
All emoji copy and paste →In your code
Different notation, one result: whichever escape you paste, what comes out is U+23EF.
04 — How to type
How to type the ⏯️ Play Or Pause Button emoji
Every system hides the emoji key somewhere else. Here is where, plus the raw codes for U+23EF when there is no key at all.
05 — Download
Play Or Pause Button emoji PNG and SVG
Transparent PNG and SVG for thumbnails, decks and design files — one file per vendor, which makes 8. Artwork belongs to whoever drew it, so check the licence before commercial use.
Emoji PNG library →
Apple
Microsoft
06 — Combinations
Play Or Pause Button emoji combinations
Ready-made combos built around play or pause button for bios, captions and comments. Tap to copy.
All combinations →Want two emojis fused into one sticker instead of set side by side? Emoji Kitchen does that for every pair Google has drawn, and there are more ready-made pairs in emoji combinations and aesthetic emoji combos.
07 — In conversation
What ⏯️ means from a girl or a guy
Same emoji, different intent depending on who sent it and what came before.
08 — Apps
What ⏯️ means on TikTok, WhatsApp and Discord
One code point, several readings — where the play or pause button lands changes how it is taken.
10 — Difference
⏯️ vs ▶️ — what is the difference?
Two emojis that get mixed up constantly. They are different characters with different names.
Unicode name: Play Or Pause Button
Code: U+23EF U+FE0F · added 2015
Shortcode: :black_right_pointing_triangle_with_double_vertical_bar:
Generally, it just means “play” or “pause.”
Unicode name: Play Button
Code: U+25B6 U+FE0F · added 2010
Shortcode: :arrow_forward:
Generally, it means “start playing” or “let’s begin.”
11 — History
Where the ⏯️ Play Or Pause Button emoji came from
When it was approved, which release it landed in, and how long phones have had it.
Same character every time — U+23EF U+FE0F never changed. Only the drawing did, and only because each vendor redraws its own set. Someone on an older phone still sees the older picture.
Play Or Pause Button was approved as U+23EF U+FE0F and shipped in Emoji 1.0 (2015). Phones usually get new artwork about a year after approval, in a system update.
Every vendor keeps its own artwork, so ⏯️ is redrawn by Apple, Google, Twitter / X, OpenMoji, Samsung, Microsoft, WhatsApp, JoyPixels. The character you send never changes — only the picture does.
12 — FAQ