Double Vertical Bar Symbol
⏸ is the pause button symbol (U+23F8) used to indicate temporarily stopping playback.
U+23F8
⏸ is commonly shown as a pause control icon for media and timers. It’s useful in UI labels, accessibility text, and app notifications. Copy it directly or insert it using common code points and escapes.
Double Vertical Bar Symbol Meaning
⏸ is Unicode character U+23F8, named “DOUBLE VERTICAL BAR.” In everyday digital contexts, it represents a pause action—typically meaning temporarily stopping playback, recording, or a running process while keeping the state intact. You’ll often see it on media players (video and audio), in control toolbars, and in status indicators such as “paused.” Because the glyph visually resembles a pause icon, it’s widely understood by users, including in short labels and compact interfaces. In developer workflows, it’s also a convenient single-character symbol for pause-related text, buttons, or screen-reader-friendly descriptions.
Common uses
- •Media player controls (audio/video) to label the pause action
- •UI status text such as “Paused” in chat, apps, or streaming overlays
- •Notification or message labels indicating playback was stopped temporarily
- •Accessible button text for play/pause toggles (e.g., “⏸ pause recording”)
- •Editorial or design annotations to indicate a paused state in mockups
Examples
⏸ Pause Button Symbol
- ⏸Press ⏸ to pause the video
- ⏸Playback is ⏸ at the moment
- ⏸Recording paused: ⏸
- ⏸Tap ⏸ to pause your audiobook
- ⏸Download started, then ⏸ waiting for connection
Variations
Ready to copy
Technical codes
| Unicode | U+23F8 | |
| HTML Entity | ⏸ | |
| HTML Code | ⏸ | |
| CSS | \23F8 | |
| Alt Code | Alt + 9208 | |
| Decimal | 9208 |
How to type Double Vertical Bar Symbol (⏸)
On Windows
Hold Alt and type 9208 on the numeric keypad. In Word, type 23F8 then press Alt + X.
On Mac
Switch to the Unicode Hex Input keyboard, then hold Option and type 23F8. Or press Control + Command + Space and search.
On Linux
Press Control + Shift + U, type 23f8, then press Enter or Space.
Anywhere
Copy ⏸ with the button above and paste it wherever you need it — this works on every device and in every app, with no keyboard shortcut to remember.
FAQ
What does the Double Vertical Bar symbol mean?
⏸ is Unicode character U+23F8, named “DOUBLE VERTICAL BAR.” In everyday digital contexts, it represents a pause action—typically meaning temporarily stopping playback, recording, or a running process while keeping the state intact. You’ll often see it on media players (video and audio), in control toolbars, and in status indicators such as “paused.” Because the glyph visually resembles a pause icon, it’s widely understood by users, including in short labels and compact interfaces. In developer workflows, it’s also a convenient single-character symbol for pause-related text, buttons, or screen-reader-friendly descriptions.
What is the Unicode code point for ⏸?
⏸ is U+23F8, with HTML entity ⏸ and CSS escape \\23F8.
How do I insert ⏸ in HTML?
You can use the literal character (⏸) or the entity ⏸ in your HTML.
How do I use ⏸ in CSS?
Use the CSS escape \\23F8 (for example, in a content: declaration).
How do I use ⏸ in JavaScript?
You can include it directly as the character (⏸) or use the escape \\u{23F8}.