Windows 11, released by Microsoft in 2021, refreshed the classic Windows system sounds with softer, rounder tones, including the notification used by its Mail and Outlook apps. Unlike the sharper alerts from Windows XP and Windows 7, this chime was designed to blend into the background during work. Clips of the sound later spread to soundboards and meme edits, where creators use it as a shorthand for getting an email at the worst possible moment, being contacted by work, or opening an inbox full of unread messages.