The bell with slash is the universal “shhh, not now” button of texting—perfect for declaring Do Not Disturb, muting the group chat chaos, or signaling you’re entering stealth mode for naps, movies, or meetings. It vibes like airplane mode for your social battery, often paired with lines like “no pings pls,” “I’m off the grid,” or the classic “do not @ me.” People also drop it sarcastically to say they’re muting drama, spoilers, or that one friend who sends 47 memes before 8 a.m. In meme-speak, it’s the visual equivalent of ghosting without the paperwork.
On Apple/iOS, it looks like a silver-gray bell with soft shading, a tiny clapper at the bottom, and a bold red diagonal slash slicing across it—clean, slightly 3D, and instantly recognizable as the mute icon. No ringing lines, no motion—just a firm “quiet.” The stark red line against the cool gray bell makes it pop like the DND toggle in Control Center. One glance and your brain hears… absolutely nothing.
Use it to mark quiet hours, signal “headphones in, world out,” or announce that alerts are going dark for focus mode. It also works playfully: “muting negativity,” “silencing main-character energy,” or “notifications off until coffee loads.”
Definition
A bell and a line across it. A bell makes a ringing sound and the line across it means it is being cancelled out. 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.
