Pause button emoji meaning

The pause button emoji shows two straight, vertical bars placed side by side. It looks like the pause symbol seen on video players or music apps. This emoji is often used to mean stopping briefly or taking a moment to rest. People might use it to express the idea of pausing a discussion, taking time to think, or stepping away from something temporarily. It can also be a way to symbolize the need for a break in daily life or during busy moments. This emoji is simple but carries a clear message of slowing down or stopping for a while.

The pause button emoji was approved in Unicode 7.0 and added in Emoji 1.0, see related proposal L2/11052