🔒

locked

Unicode: 1F512

Description

A grayscale padlock, typically depicted as closed and locked, with the shackle at the top and the body at the bottom.

Group:

Objects > lock

Status:

fully-qualified

Emotion:

Represents security, privacy, protection, or something being locked away or unaccessible.

Backstory

This emoji was introduced in Unicode 6.0 (2010). Its design is based on a standard physical padlock and it is one of several lock-related emojis (e.g., 🔒, 🔓, 🔐) used to convey different states of security or access.

Usage Examples

  • To indicate a private account: 'Account is private 🔒'
  • For website security: 'Secure connection 🔒'
  • When something is off-limits: 'My diary is 🔒'
  • To express keeping a secret: 'My lips are 🔒'

Cultural Differences

Western culture:

Widely understood as a symbol for security, privacy, or restriction. Used in contexts like 'private access' or 'secure connection'.

East Asian culture:

Similar meaning, often used to denote privacy on social media or secure online transactions.