Turns out the Power symbol has an awesome secret meaning

Power symbol
(Image credit: Future)

It's one of the most ubiquitous symbols around, and one you likely look at every day. But it turns out the power on/off symbol is more than just, er, a plain old circle and line. 

Comedian Bec Hill recently took to Twitter to share her recent discovery of the theory that the symbol actually represents the binary code for on and off: a 1 and a 0. And judging by the response, plenty of users thought it depicted a number of different things. (Looking for design inspiration? Check out the best logos of all time.) 

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As you might expect, the tweet has been met with a series of "I was today years old..." responses – along with descriptions of what Twitter users thought the symbol represented. "Here's me thinking it was 'finger on the button," one user comments, while another adds, "I have always known that this symbol means: "Dunking biscuits is permitted."

Bluetooth logo

The Bluetooth logo also has a secret meaning (Image credit: iPhone Hacks)

Is the power symbol really intended to represent binary code? As we noted in our piece on the unknown stories behind everyday icons, some believe it actually represents a closed and open circuit. Either way, the power button can join the likes of the Bluetooth logo in the everyday-tech-symbols-that-actually-have-quite-interesting-meanings hall of fame. If you're inspired to create a design of your own, take a look at our guide on how to design a logo.

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Daniel John
Senior News Editor

Daniel John is Senior News Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of art, design, branding and lifestyle tech (which often translates to tech made by Apple). He joined in 2020 after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more.