SymbolHub

Hourglass Symbol (⌛)

The hourglass symbol ⌛ is Unicode U+231B, the sand timer for waiting and time running out. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode
U+231B
HTML
⌛
Word
231B Alt+X

How to type the hourglass symbol (⌛)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ⌛ yourself, use the method for your device below.

Windows

  1. In Word or Outlook, type 231B and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  2. Press Win + . to open the emoji panel, then search for “hourglass”.

Mac

  1. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for hourglass and double-click it.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 231b, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Open the emoji keyboard and search for “hourglass” to insert ⌛ or ⏳.
  2. Copy ⌛ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;hour. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

  1. In Gboard, tap the emoji key and search for “hourglass” to insert ⌛ or ⏳.
  2. Copy ⌛ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 231B, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 231B in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

  1. Insert → Special characters, then search for “hourglass” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(8987) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ⌛ or ⌛ in your HTML.

What does ⌛ mean?

⌛ is an hourglass, a sand timer. It stands for waiting, deadlines and time passing: “offer ends soon ⌛”. It has emoji presentation by default, so most devices draw it in colour. The companion ⏳ shows the sand still flowing, and the maths block has plain outline hourglasses ⧖ ⧗ for when you need a text look.

Common uses

  • Countdowns and limited-time offers
  • Loading or “please wait” messages
  • Productivity and time-management posts

Hourglass Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming

Every code below produces ⌛. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.

Unicode code pointU+231B
HTML decimal⌛
HTML hex⌛
CSS contentcontent: "\231B";
JavaScript"\u231B"
Python"\u231B"
Python (by name)"\N{HOURGLASS}"
Java / C#"\u231B"
UTF-8 bytesE2 8C 9B
UTF-16231B
URL encoded%E2%8C%9B

⌛ vs look-alike characters

These characters look similar to ⌛ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.

CharNameWhen to use it
Hourglass with Flowing Sand
U+23F3		Hourglass with flowing sand, meaning time is running.
Hourglass
U+29D7		Black hourglass, a text-style character from the maths symbols.
White Hourglass
U+29D6		White hourglass, the outline version.

Symbols similar to ⌛

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full technical symbols collection.

  • Details
  • Details
  • Details

⌛ character properties

Official Unicode name
HOURGLASS
Also known as
sand timer symbol, hourglass emoji
Code point
U+231B
Unicode block
Miscellaneous Technical (U+2300–U+23FF)
General category
Other symbol (So)
Added in
Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
Has an emoji form: ⌛ (add U+FE0F)

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ⌛ and ⏳?

⌛ is a finished hourglass with the sand at the bottom (time is up). ⏳ shows sand still flowing (time is running).

Is there an alt code for the hourglass symbol?

No. ⌛ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 231B then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

How do I type the hourglass symbol on a Mac?

There is no single Option shortcut for ⌛ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “hourglass” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code for the hourglass symbol?

⌛ has no named HTML entity. Use the numeric reference ⌛ or ⌛, or paste the character directly into a UTF-8 page.

What is the Unicode for the hourglass symbol?

⌛ is U+231B, officially named HOURGLASS, in the Miscellaneous Technical block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).