📪️

Closed Mailbox with Lowered Flag

klohzd MAYL-boks with LOW-erd flag
Objects Unicode 0.6 uncommon

Meanings

1
Communication · Mail Common

Represents a closed mailbox with its flag down, indicating mail has been collected or there is no outgoing mail to be picked up.

Used to indicate mail has been checked, delivery completed, or no new messages are available.

Just checked the mail, nothing today 📪️ 📋 Personal messaging
Email inbox finally cleared 📪️ Feels good! 📋 Work chat

In the US and similar postal systems, a lowered flag traditionally signals to mail carriers that there's no outgoing mail to collect.

2
Status · Completion Uncommon

Metaphorically represents completion, emptiness, or a task being finished, particularly in digital contexts.

Often used to indicate an empty inbox, completed correspondence, or finished communication tasks.

Finally responded to all my messages 📪️ 📋 Social media

The concept of an empty mailbox has evolved to represent digital task completion in modern communication.

Combos with 📪️

📪️✓
Mail checked and nothing important received
Indicates completion of checking mail or messages
📪️😌
Relief at having an empty inbox or no new messages
Expresses satisfaction at being caught up with correspondence
📪️🏡
Home mail delivery completed or checked
Specifically references residential mail delivery

Culture

As physical mail declines, this emoji has partially shifted to represent digital message management, particularly email inbox status.

The mailbox design with a flag is primarily American, making this emoji more directly relatable in the US than in countries with different postal systems.

United Kingdom Less directly relatable as UK mailboxes don't typically have flags; may be interpreted more metaphorically.
United States Commonly understood as representing the American-style rural mailbox with a flag that signals outgoing mail.
Gen_X: More likely to use literally to indicate actual mail delivery status or checking the mailbox.
Gen_Z: Rarely used literally; more often employed metaphorically for digital communication completion or 'zero inbox' achievement.
Older: Primarily used literally to communicate about physical mail delivery, rarely in metaphorical contexts.
Millennials: Used both literally for physical mail and metaphorically for email management, particularly in work contexts.

History

2010

Introduced in Unicode 6.0 as part of the initial emoji standards

Growing need for communication-related symbols in digital messaging

2015

Usage expanded to metaphorically represent email inbox management

Increasing digital communication replacing physical mail