What Does the 🔒 Lock Emoji Mean on Social Media?

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Social media marketer Katelyn Rhoades explains the meaning behind this relationship emoji

Co-authored by Aly Rusciano Reviewed by Katelyn Rhoades

Last Updated: January 19, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Emoji Meaning
|
• Using the Emoji
|
• Lock Emoji Pairings
|
• Related Emojis
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• Q&A
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• Tips

|Show more |Show less

So you’ve seen the 🔒 emoji come up in a message or social media post—but what does it mean? As it turns out, the 🔒 emoji can mean a few different things, so we’re here to help you learn everything you need to know about this emoji. We talked to social media marketer Katelyn Rhoades to find out it can mean, how to use it, and how to pair it with other emojis to get your message across!

Lock Emoji Meaning

Social media marketer Katelyn Rhoades says the 🔒 emoji means someone is taken or “locked in” a relationship and isn’t available for dating. The 🔒 can also be used to indicate that something is secure, private, or inaccessible. On the other hand, the 🔒 can also signify a secret or a physical padlock.

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Section 1 of 4:

What does the 🔒 (lock) emoji mean?

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1. 
   1
   The lock means a “taken” relationship status. According to Rhoades, the 🔒emoji means someone is in a committed relationship. If you see a 🔒 on someone’ special media profile, it means the a person is in a solid and happy relationship. You know that person isn’t available for dating when you see a closed lock. Rhoades says she’s married herself, so the 🔒 emoji could be used to communicate that she’s “locked down” in a relationship.

   • “Happy to report that I’m officially taken. 🔒😊”
   • “Just updated my dating profile! 🔒”

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Katelyn Rhoades is a social media marketing strategist based in Florida. She’s also the founder of Enfluence Marketing Studio, an award-winning social media marketing agency, and the host of the Call Her Creator podcast.
2. 
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   The lock emoji can also signify a secret. After all, secrets are meant to be kept under metaphorical lock and key! When someone uses 🔒, they’re saying that they intend to keep the secret. Rhoades says the 🔒 emoji can also be used to ask someone for a password.

   • “She made me promise not to tell! 🔒”
   • “Remember not to mention the party to mom! It’s a 🔒.”
   • Seeing a lock on Snapchat? A lock appears on Snapchat stories that are private—maybe they’re keeping a secret!
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3. 
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   The lock emoji can also refer to a real-life lock. When someone describes a building, structure, or piece of technology that is locked, they may use the 🔒 emoji to symbolize it. They could also be referring to something with restricted access.

   • “Did you 🔒 the garage?”
   • “My Facebook account is 🔒 and I forgot the password! 😫”
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Section 2 of 4:

How to Use the 🔒(Lock) Emoji

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1. 
   1
   Use the lock emoji to talk about your relationship. It’s natural to want the world to know when you’ve forged a healthy, lasting bond with someone! The 🔒 emoji can help you express your commitment to the relationship.

   • “It’s our anniversary today! 2 years and going strong. 🔒❤️”
   • “If you know it’s true love, then it’s time to 🔒 it down! 💍”
   • “My relationship status: 🔒😍”
2. 
   2
   Use the lock emoji to share (or keep) secrets. When you want someone to know that you’ll keep their secret faithfully, you can use the lock emoji to tell them so. Alternatively, you can use the emoji to explain to someone that you can’t share certain information.

   • “Your secret is 🔒 with me!”
   • “I have something to tell you…but you have to keep it 🔒”
3. 
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   The lock emoji can be a placeholder. Emojis are fantastic shortcuts when you don’t want to type out the whole word. Rather than typing “lock” or “locked,” you could just type 🔒 to make your text more playful.

   • “Help! Got 🔒 out of the house!!”
   • “Went and 🔒 all the doors after watching that true crime show. 😅”
4. 
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   Describe a secure situation or location with the lock emoji. Just as 🔒 means “secure” on websites and software, you can use it to explain that something is safe and protected or on lockdown. While it typically refers to internet technology, 🔒 can indicate any kind of security.

   • “Can you make sure the site is 🔒 before we use it?”
   • “All 🔒 over here! No need to worry.”
   • “It’s unbelievably cold here, so we’re on 🔒 till the weather clears up!”
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Section 3 of 4:

🔒 (Lock) Emoji Pairings

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1. 
   Combine the lock with other emojis to expand on its meaning. Once you know what 🔒 means, a short string of emojis will give your texts and social posts more flavor. Here are some common pairings to use!

   • 🔒🖥 means “lock screen.”
   • 🔒🚪 means “locked door.”
   • ⬇️🔒🔑 means “under lock and key.”
   • ❤️🔒 means “heart on lock,” another way to say you’re in a committed relationship.

Section 4 of 4:

Related Emojis

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1. 
   There are emojis similar to the lock that you can use. They can be placed alongside 🔒 or replace it to give the message a slightly different meaning. For example:

   • The 🔓 (open lock) emoji can refer to a lock being opened in real life or someone who is single.
   • The 🔏 (lock with pen) emoji can either mean something is secure on the internet, or it can mean that a conversation is supposed to be private.
   • The 🔐 (lock with key) emoji is used to indicate internet security or two people who belong together in a relationship.
   • The 🔑 (key) emoji can represent success. You can also use it when you’re talking about something that’s crucial or important.
   • The 🗝️ (old key) emoji can represent antiques or be used to talk about success or something important.
   • The 🚪 (door) emoji can symbolize a room or home. It can also be used to refer to opening a figurative door or new beginnings.
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• Question

  What does 💏/ 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 mean?

  

  Community Answer

  People kissing or in love with each other.

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• Question

  📦🎁✉📧📨📩📫📪📬📭📮What is the meaning of package and mailbox emojis?

  

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  The package emojis generally mean a gift or package waiting to arrive.

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• Question

  What does a closed lock followed by a red heart🔒❤️ mean?

  

  Community Answer

  If someone uses those emojis together, it means they are taken (already in a romantic relationship).

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  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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• The Unicode for the 🔒 emoji is U+1F512.
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