The click comes from the first generation iPhone, released by Apple in 2007, where it was the default sound for the on screen keyboard in iOS. Before haptic feedback became standard, that audible tick confirmed every tap and became one of the most familiar phone sounds of the late 2000s. It later spread through YouTube tutorials, ringtone packs and meme edits recreating old text conversations, sitting alongside other interface clips like the Discord Notification as shorthand for digital communication. It remains popular because modern phones sound quieter and less distinctive.