That bold red slash over a side-facing speaker says it all: volume at zero. On Apple/iOS it’s a metallic gray cone with soft shading and a minimal, UI-button vibe, conspicuously missing any sound waves. The look is instantly recognizable and perfect for captions like “muting haters,” “library mode,” or “airplane aisle etiquette.” It’s also a cheeky nod to doomscrolling reels at 3 a.m. with the sound off, or to putting notifications in time-out. Quiet never looked so loud.
In meme-speak, it channels big “dead chat energy,” the chaotic “you’re on mute” of Zoom life, and the classic move when you’re speechless but trying to look unbothered. Used sarcastically, it tells drama to hush, declares you’re ignoring the noise, or confesses some clips are better watched without audio anyway. People drop it when they can’t play sound—think library, meeting, or sneaky bus scroll—after muting a chaotic group chat, or to deliver pure “radio silence” as a reaction. Bottom line: it’s the universal shhh, a tiny speaker with its vibe switch flipped to Silent Mode.
Definition
The speaker cone with a line through it. Means no sound will be heard or mute. Often used as a sound setting notification on electronic devises with customizable sound settings, such as a mobile phone or computer. Shush. Peace and quiet. Don't talk to me. Don't make a sound.
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Emoji History The emoji code/ image log of changes.
This emoji first appeared in OSX / iOS after the iOS 5 update.