Hourglass Not Done Emoji
U+23F3:hourglass_flowing_sand:About Hourglass Not Done ⏳️
Hourglass Not Done () is part of the Travel & Places group in Unicode. Added in Unicode E0.6. Type on GitHub and Slack to use it. Click copy above to grab it, paste it anywhere.
Works in iMessage, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, Instagram, Twitter, Gmail, and every app that supports Unicode.
Often associated with done, flowing, hourglass, and 6 more keywords.
Scroll down for the full story: meaning, trends, combos, and more.
How it looks
What does it mean?
The hourglass not done emoji shows an hourglass with sand still flowing from the top chamber to the bottom. Unlike ⌛ (where the sand has finished), ⏳ specifically means time is still passing. Something is in progress. The clock is ticking.
In texting, ⏳ carries three distinct meanings that depend heavily on context.
The first is urgency and deadlines. 'Hurry up ⏳' or 'Time's running out ⏳' is the classic usage. It creates pressure without being aggressive. Bosses use it. Friends use it. Parents definitely use it.
The second is the Snapchat streak warning. On Snapchat, ⏳ is a system emoji that appears when a Snapstreak is about to expire. It shows up 4-8 hours before the 24-hour deadline, depending on streak length. For millions of teens, ⏳ doesn't mean 'time is passing.' It means 'SEND A SNAP RIGHT NOW OR WE LOSE OUR 347-DAY STREAK.'
The third is the body compliment. On TikTok, ⏳ under someone's photo means they have an hourglass figure, a body shape with a narrow waist and wider hips. It's become a widely understood body-positive compliment, similar to how 🍰 and 🎂 mean 'cake' (butt).
⏳ lives a triple life on social media.
On Snapchat, it's a panic button. The hourglass appearing next to a friend's name means your streak is about to die. For Gen Z users who've maintained streaks for hundreds or thousands of days, ⏳ triggers an immediate response. Snapchat's own support page confirms the emoji appears as a streak expiration warning.
On TikTok and Instagram, ⏳ in comments means 'hourglass figure.' It's a body compliment. Under a photo of someone with curves, ⏳ says 'your body is shaped like this emoji' without needing words. It's body-positive shorthand that emerged from the same culture that gave 🍑 and 🍆 their body meanings.
In general texting, ⏳ means waiting, patience running thin, or something pending. 'Still waiting for your reply ⏳' is passive-aggressive in a way that ⌛ isn't, because the flowing sand implies active impatience.
It means time is running out, hurry up, or something is in progress. On Snapchat specifically, it's a streak expiration warning. On TikTok, under someone's photo, it means they have an hourglass figure (body compliment).
The time & timekeeping emoji family
Clocks & watches
Hourglasses
What it means from...
If your crush sends ⏳, context is everything. On Snapchat: they're protecting your streak (which means they care about maintaining the connection). In response to your photo: they might be complimenting your figure. In conversation: they're waiting for your reply and getting impatient, which means they're invested in hearing from you. All three readings are positive.
Between partners, ⏳ is usually 'hurry up' (getting ready for a date), 'I'm waiting for you' (playful impatience), or a body compliment. 'Looking like ⏳ tonight' from your partner is saying your outfit makes your figure look amazing.
Among friends, ⏳ is Snapchat streak panic ('SEND A SNAP THE HOURGLASS IS UP'), deadline pressure ('assignment due in 2 hours ⏳'), or hyping someone's body in comments. Between close friends, all three are normal.
From parents: 'We're leaving in 10 minutes ⏳' (get in the car). From siblings: probably the Snapchat streak or teasing about being slow. Parents don't use the body-compliment meaning.
In work contexts, ⏳ is deadline pressure. 'Report due EOD ⏳' is professional and clear. The body-compliment meaning does NOT belong at work. Ever.
From a stranger under your photo: body compliment (hourglass figure). In DMs: they're either impatient for a reply or creating artificial urgency. From a stranger on a countdown post: literal time reference.
Flirty or friendly?
⏳ is flirty specifically as a body compliment (hourglass figure), friendly as a deadline reminder, and neutral as a Snapchat streak warning. The same emoji, three completely different energies. On someone's selfie = flirty. In a group chat about plans = friendly. On Snapchat next to your name = functional panic.
- •Under a selfie or body photo = hourglass figure compliment (flirty)
- •On Snapchat next to a name = streak warning (functional)
- •'Waiting for you ⏳' = playful impatience (could be either)
- •About a deadline = urgency (friendly/professional)
From a guy, ⏳ is either deadline pressure ('hurry up'), a body compliment (hourglass figure under your photo), or Snapchat streak panic. If he sends it in response to your selfie, he's complimenting your shape.
Same as from a guy: streak panic, body compliment, or time pressure. Girls use ⏳ under friends' photos as a supportive body-positive hype comment more frequently than guys do.
Emoji combos
Origin story
The hourglass is one of the oldest timekeeping devices, with the earliest confirmed examples dating to the 14th century, though some historians argue they existed in ancient Rome. Sand clocks were essential for navigation: ship crews used them to measure watch shifts and calculate speed.
The ⏳ emoji was part of the original Unicode 1.1 standard (1993), making it one of the oldest emoji-adjacent symbols. It was added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015 when it gained colorful platform-specific designs.
The Snapchat meaning emerged organically as the platform added the hourglass as a streak expiration indicator. For an entire generation, ⏳ became synonymous with 'your streak is about to die' rather than the abstract concept of passing time.
Often confused with
⌛ (Hourglass Done) shows all sand in the bottom chamber. Time has expired. ⏳ still has sand flowing. The difference matters: ⏳ = 'still time left, but hurry.' ⌛ = 'too late.'
⌛ (Hourglass Done) shows all sand in the bottom chamber. Time has expired. ⏳ still has sand flowing. The difference matters: ⏳ = 'still time left, but hurry.' ⌛ = 'too late.'
⏳ shows sand still flowing (time passing, still a chance). ⌛ shows all sand at the bottom (time's up). ⏳ = urgency. ⌛ = finality.
Caption ideas
Aesthetic sets
Fun facts
- •⏳ was part of Unicode 1.1 (1993), making it one of the oldest symbols in the standard. It predates emoji by over 20 years.
- •On Snapchat, the hourglass appears 4-8 hours before a streak expires. Longer streaks get more warning time.
- •The hourglass was essential for navigation at sea. Sailors used sand clocks to measure watch shifts and calculate speed in knots (literally counting how fast a rope with knots played out during one sand-clock interval).
- •On TikTok, ⏳ under someone's photo means they have an hourglass figure. It's a body-positive compliment that has nothing to do with time.
Trivia
For developers
- •Hourglass Not Done is , from Unicode 1.1 (1993). One of the oldest symbols in the standard.
- •Shortcodes: or on Slack/Discord.
- •Snapchat uses ⏳ programmatically as a streak expiration indicator. If building similar features, this is the expected emoji.
- •Distinguish from (⌛ Hourglass Done) which indicates time has expired.
⏳ was part of Unicode 1.1 in 1993 (codepoint ), making it one of the oldest symbols in the standard. It was added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015 for colorful rendering.
See the full Emoji Developer Tools guide for regex patterns, encoding helpers, and more.
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