Door locked
The door is locked because a programme is running or it is not yet safe to open — water in the drum, the drum still turning, or the door still hot.
What it is for
Wait for the symbol to go out before opening. Hotpoint: to open during a cycle press START/PAUSE, and open only when the symbol is off.
Makes differ, check your machine’s manual: the same drawing can mean different things on different brands, and only your model’s manual says exactly what a programme does, how hot and how long.
- What it looks like
- A closed padlock, on its own or beside the time on the display; on Samsung sometimes a key instead.
- Names makers use
- Door Lock (Samsung); Door Locked Symbol (Beko); Locked door indicator (Hotpoint)
Where makes differ
Samsung says the door-lock icon is “the padlock (without a smiley face) or the key icon”; Beko’s display and Hotpoint’s indicator use a padlock. Because Samsung may use a key here and Bosch uses a key for child lock, the same key can mean either.
Often confused with
The buttons are locked so a programme cannot be changed or started by accident. It does not by itself mean the door is locked.
Sources
No single published standard defines washing-machine or dryer programme icons, so this meaning is taken from 3 makers’ own guides and manuals, each fetched and read on the date shown:
- Samsung: Samsung UK support — What do the symbols on my Samsung washing machine mean? — “The padlock (without a smiley face) or the key icon indicates that the door is locked… Do not attempt to open the door while this icon is lit.” Checked 2026-09-25.
- Beko: Beko UK — WI 1382 washing machine user’s manual (PDF) — Display symbol g, “Door Locked Symbol” (a padlock): when the programme starts the door locks and the door locked symbol lights up. Checked 2026-09-25.
- Hotpoint: Hotpoint washing machine Quick Guide (GB, PDF) — Locked door indicator: when lit the door is locked; wait until the symbol turns off before opening; to open mid-cycle press START/PAUSE, and if the symbol is off the door can be opened. Checked 2026-09-25.
Written in our own words; quotations are the makers’ wording.