play button
Unicode: 25B6 FE0F
Description
A right-pointing black triangle, often rendered with a distinct three-dimensional appearance.
Group:
Symbols > av-symbol
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents action, direction, or an instruction to proceed. It is a neutral symbol.
Backstory
The black right-pointing triangle has been a universal symbol for 'play' or 'forward' in interactive media for decades due to its intuitive visual representation of movement in a specific direction. The 'FE0F' part is a variation selector, indicating that the preceding character should be displayed as an emoji and not as a monochrome text character, often resulting in a more colorful or three-dimensional rendering.
Usage Examples
- As a play button icon on video platforms.
- Indicating 'next' or 'forward' in a slideshow or player.
- Representing a pointer or directional indicator in diagrams.
- Press the play button to start the movie. ▶️
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Widely recognized as a 'play' button icon, indicating the start of video, audio, or a presentation.
East Asian culture:
Similar interpretation as a 'play' button, commonly used in media players and user interfaces.