U+23F3 · emoji since 2010
The hourglass with sand still falling means time is passing and the clock is running. It means waiting, patience, and a deadline drawing near.
It marks loading screens and countdowns, the slow, steady reminder that time keeps slipping away.
In texting, ⏳️ does not carry a widely used hidden or slang meaning, so you can usually take it at face value. People send it just as it looks, to add a little visual touch or set the mood of a message. Only a handful of emoji have a separate texting code, and ⏳️ is not really one of them.
Its official Unicode name is the Hourglass Not Done emoji. In everyday chat most people just call it the hourglass not done emoji or describe what it shows. Copy and paste it from the button at the top of this page.
The ⏳️ leads off a short phrase, and the rest of the words are written in cipher, every letter disguised as another emoji. Tap decipher to reveal the whole line.
Or make your own cipher in the translator.