- Sly, smug or flirty: what the half-smile signals
- Innuendo and the 'you know what I mean' look
- Smirk vs unamused face vs wink
- A 2000 Japanese keyboard original with shifting designs
- The old Snapchat smirk friend emoji
- When a crush, a friend or a coworker sends 😏
- Made-up smirk texts
- Keep the smirk out of client chats? My rule
- Frequently asked questions
The smirk emoji 😏 means sly, smug or mischievous, and it's very often flirty or a nudge towards innuendo, as in 'you know what I mean'. Its official Unicode name is Smirking Face, approved in Unicode 6.0 in 2010. The catch: it isn't always about flirting, since it's just as often used to look pleased with yourself, and people regularly mix it up with the grumpy 😒 Unamused Face.
The smirk is the emoji equivalent of a raised eyebrow. It turns a plain sentence into a hint, a tease or a brag. That's fun with friends and a bit risky everywhere else, because a smirk can make an innocent line sound suggestive. Here's how to read it and when to keep it off your keyboard.
Sly, smug or flirty: what the half-smile signals
Emojipedia describes the Smirking Face as a yellow smiley with a sly, smug, mischievous or suggestive expression. It has an uneven half-smile, raised eyebrows and eyes looking to the side, and Emojipedia says it's often used to convey flirtation or sexual innuendo.
In practice, there are three common moods. There's the smug one: 'Told you I'd win 😏'. There's the teasing one: 'Someone's in a good mood today 😏'. And there's the flirty one, where it hints at more than the words say. If someone's been working on their rizz, the smirk is often their favourite tool.
Innuendo and the 'you know what I mean' look
Wiktionary describes 😏 as an emoji that draws attention to a perceived innuendo. It gives a second sense too: a suggestive emoji that lightheartedly shows two or more people share hidden knowledge or intent, and it lists the winking face 😉 as a synonym. Its examples come from magazine headlines, where the smirk is added to make a line sound cheeky.
That's why a smirk changes the meaning of almost anything. 'See you later' is a plan. 'See you later 😏' sounds like a plan with a wink attached. If a message with a smirk seems a bit loaded, it probably is, at least a little.
Smirk vs unamused face vs wink
Emojipedia warns that the smirk shouldn't be confused with 😒 Unamused Face, which has similar sideways eyes but a pouting mouth. It also notes there's a cat version, 😼 Cat Face With Wry Smile. Here's how they compare:
| Emoji | Official name | Usual mood | Easy tell |
|---|---|---|---|
| 😏 | Smirking Face | Smug, teasing or flirty | Half-smile, raised brows |
| 😒 | Unamused Face | Bored, annoyed, not impressed | Sideways eyes, pouting mouth |
| 😉 | Winking Face | Joking or in on a secret | One eye closed |
| 😼 | Cat Face With Wry Smile | Sly and playful | A cat with a smirk |
If someone sends 😒 and you read it as 😏, you'll think they're flirting when they're fed up. Check the mouth before you reply.
A 2000 Japanese keyboard original with shifting designs
Emojipedia says the smirk predates the standardisation of emojis within Unicode and first appeared on early Japanese mobile emoji keyboards in 2000. It was approved as part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015.
Its look hasn't been consistent. Emojipedia notes that its appearance has historically differed greatly across platforms and tells people to use it with caution. Some early designs from other phone makers showed closed eyes, which made the face look content rather than sly. On today's iPhone and Android keyboards it's firmly in sly territory.
The old Snapchat smirk friend emoji
Snapchat once gave the smirk a technical job. Emojipedia says the app previously used 😏 as a Friend Emoji to show that a contact often sent you Snaps while you didn't often send Snaps back. In other words, they were keener than you. It isn't something you'll see there now, but it explains why older posts talk about 'the smirk on Snapchat'. If you're curious about another Snapchat face, here's what the sunglasses face means on Snapchat.
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When a crush, a friend or a coworker sends 😏
- From a crush: usually flirting. They're teasing you or hinting at interest. Reply in kind if you're keen, or with something neutral if you're not.
- From a friend: often smug or teasing. They're winding you up or bragging about being right.
- From a coworker: usually a joke about something you both know, like a meeting that ran long. If it feels suggestive, it's fine to ignore it or reply plainly.
- From a stranger: treat it with caution. A smirk out of nowhere can be a come-on.
If a smirk makes you feel uneasy rather than amused, trust that. You can always ask what they meant, or simply not engage, and something that feels a bit sus often is.
Made-up smirk texts
These are made-up messages to show how it's used, not real chats:
- 'Guess who got the last ticket 😏' Smug and pleased.
- 'You looked nice today 😏' Flirty, with a hint of more.
- 'So the meeting that could've been an email... 😏' A shared joke between colleagues.
- 'I know what you did 😏' Teasing, like they've found out a harmless secret.
- 'Might need a hand with that later 😏' Innuendo, depending on who sent it.
Keep the smirk out of client chats? My rule
My advice for brands is simple: leave the smirk out of customer replies and client messages. Because it so often signals innuendo, it can make a harmless line sound suggestive, and that's the last thing you want in a reply to someone you don't know.
Where it can work is in playful, clearly jokey brand posts, like a 'we told you so' moment when a prediction comes true. Even then, read the line aloud with a smirk in your head first. If it sounds cheeky in a way you wouldn't say to a customer's face, pick 😉 or no emoji at all.
Frequently asked questions
What does 😏 mean from a guy or a girl?
It's often flirty or teasing. Emojipedia says the smirk is often used to convey flirtation or innuendo, so check the words around it.
What is the smirk emoji's official name?
Its Unicode name is Smirking Face. Emojipedia says it was approved in Unicode 6.0 in 2010.
Is the smirk the same as the unamused face?
No. Emojipedia notes 😒 Unamused Face has similar eyes but a pouting mouth, and it means bored or annoyed.
Did Snapchat use the smirk emoji?
Yes. Emojipedia says Snapchat once used it to show a contact often snapped you but you didn't often snap them back.
Should brands use the smirk emoji?
Rarely. It can make a line sound suggestive, so it's best kept out of customer replies.
