Did You Know? Floppy Disks Inspired The ‘Save’ Icon

Despite being obsolete for decades, the floppy disk continues to symbolise data storage in the digital world.

If you’ve ever clicked the little square “Save” button on your computer, you’ve used a relic of the past without even realising it. That tiny icon—a blue disk with a silver shutter—was once an essential piece of hardware: the floppy disk. Despite being obsolete for decades, the floppy disk continues to symbolise data storage in the digital world. But how did this outdated piece of technology become an enduring icon?

The Rise and Fall of the Floppy Disk

Introduced by IBM in 1971, the first floppy disk was a giant eight-inch storage device capable of holding just 80 kilobytes of data—barely enough for a single Word document today. By the 1980s and 1990s, smaller versions (5.25-inch and 3.5-inch) became the standard for storing files, software, and even entire operating systems.

However, as CDs, USB drives, and cloud storage emerged, the floppy disk quickly became redundant. By the late 2000s, computer manufacturers had stopped including floppy disk drives altogether. Yet, while the technology vanished, its visual legacy endured.

The Birth of an Icon

During the early days of personal computing, software developers needed a simple way to represent saving a file. The floppy disk was the universal storage medium at the time, making it the natural choice. Microsoft Word, early versions of Photoshop, and other programs all adopted the floppy disk as their Save button.

Even as floppy disks disappeared from desks, the symbol remained unchanged. Today, most people under 25 have never used a floppy disk, yet they instinctively recognise the save icon. This phenomenon is known as a skeuomorph—a design that mimics an outdated physical object despite being functionally unnecessary.

A Digital Fossil That Won’t Die

Interestingly, some industries still use floppy disks today. The US military maintained nuclear missile systems on 8-inch floppies until 2019, and some Japanese train networks still rely on them for data storage.

Despite its extinction in practice, the floppy disk lives on in our digital world. It’s a rare example of outdated technology that continues to shape the way we interact with modern computers—proof that sometimes, nostalgia is stronger than progress.