Hourglass (time left, or delay)
Something to do with time on the display — but which depends on the make: on Samsung, the time left in the cycle; on Beko, a delayed start counting down.
What it is for
Read the number beside it. If the machine has not started washing and the number is large, you may have set a delay by mistake: cancel it or press start again as your manual says.
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
- An hourglass — two triangles meeting at a narrow waist — next to the time on the display.
- Names makers use
- Time Remaining (Samsung); Time Delaying Symbol (Beko)
Where makes differ
Samsung: “The hourglass icon indicates how much time is left in the cycle.” Beko’s display marks time delay with the hourglass and shows remaining time without it. There is no rule; this is exactly where makes differ.
Often confused with
The programme is set to start later — or, on some machines, to finish at a chosen time — and is counting down.
Other symbols with the same shapes
Sources
No single published standard defines washing-machine or dryer programme icons, so this meaning is taken from 2 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? — Time Remaining: “The hourglass icon indicates how much time is left in the cycle. The number shown on the display while the hourglass appears is the time remaining.” Checked 2026-09-25.
- Beko: Beko UK — WI 1382 washing machine user’s manual (PDF) — Display symbols: m, “Time Delaying Symbol”, is an hourglass beside the remaining-time digits (k, “Remaining Time and Delaying Time Indicator”); it flashes while a delay is set. Checked 2026-09-25.
Written in our own words; quotations are the makers’ wording.