What Does the 👀 Eyes Emoji Mean?

From social media feeds to group chats, the 👀 (eyes) emoji is everywhere. But what exactly does this ambiguous emoji mean? We’ve got you covered. Keep reading to have your eyes opened on all the different ways this emoji can spice up your texts, posts, and photo captions.

Section 1 of 4:

What does the 👀 (eyes) emoji mean?

  1. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 1
    1
    Shock: Shock and surprise are difficult emotions to put into words. Thankfully, the 👀 emoji does a great job of capturing the sense of excitement and astonishment that comes with a piece of unexpected news.[1]
  2. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 2
    2
    Deceit: Everyone breaks the rules once in a while—what better way to flex your misdeeds than with the shady 👀 emoji? In this case, using 👀 is a playful way to boast about what you just (potentially) got away with.[2]
    Advertisement
  3. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 3
    3
    Embarrassment: While not quite as powerful as the 😳 or 🙃 emojis, the 👀 emoji is still a clever, subtle way to either share or react to an embarrassing moment.[3]
  4. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 4
    4
    Intrigue: The 👀 is an iconic way to let someone know that they have your full attention. Basically, if “spill the beans” had its own emoji, 👀 would be it.[4]
  5. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 5
    5
    Flirting: It’s pretty hard to scroll through Instagram or Twitter without seeing a lot of 👀 emojis floating around—especially on people’s selfies. The 👀 emoji is a friendly, flirty way of saying “I see you.”[5]
    6. Advertisement
Section 2 of 4:

How to Use the 👀 (eyes) Emoji

  1. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 6
    1
    Send 👀 as a reply to unbelievable news. Sure, you can drop a 😱 or 😲 in response to a surprising or exciting message, but it just doesn’t have the same curious, intrigued vibe as the 👀 emoji. Keep it simple with just 1 pair of 👀, or drop multiple emojis to really amp up the shock.[6]
    • Them: “I just won $1,000 on a scratch ticket!”
      You: “👀👀👀”
    • Them: “My family’s adopting a puppy this Friday!”
      You: “👀”
  2. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 7
    2
    Drop a 👀 to share or reply to an embarrassing or cringey moment. See some awkward PDA in the hall on your way to class? Vent about it a friend with the 👀 emoji. Did your bestie just text you about an embarrassing run-in with their crush? Shoot a few 👀 emojis to show that you’re all ears.[7]
    • “Heard some weird noises coming from the bathroom 👀👀”
    • Friend: “Fell asleep in class and the teacher called on me 😩”
      You: “👀👀👀”
  3. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 8
    3
    Brag about your sneaky, less-than-honest exploits. Steal out of the cookie jar? Spill some mustard on your sister’s favorite shirt? The 👀 is the perfect way to express all of your sneaky, dastardly deeds to your close friends.
    • “Got home an hour after curfew last night 👀”
    • “Skipped class to hang out with Jason and his friends 👀👀”
    • “Dan still hasn’t realized I’m mooching off his Netflix account 👀”
  4. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 9
    4
    Force your friend to spill the juicy details. The 👀 emoji is the perfect response to vague, mysterious messages like “Guess what happened today?” or “The craziest thing happened this morning.” Send a few emojis to show that you’re all ears—or in this case, all eyes!
    • Them: “You’ll never guess who I saw at the grocery store yesterday.”
      You: “👀👀👀”
  5. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 10
    5
    Let a friend know they’re looking good. Give the 🔥 emoji a break and show your interest with the 👀 emoji instead. Just be sure to keep the recipient in mind! This sly emoji works best with people you know well, like a best friend shooting you a selfie over Snapchat. A crush, random acquaintance, or perfect stranger might not be as comfortable with it.[8]
    • Friend: “Check out my new cosplay!”
      You: “👀👀👀”
    6. Advertisement
Section 3 of 4:

How to Reply to the 👀 (eyes) Emoji

  1. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 11
    1
    Laugh at cringey, embarrassing moments with 😂 or 🤣. Maybe your friend just shot you a text about how they walked in on someone in the bathroom, or how they accidentally said “love you” to their co-worker when hanging up the phone. Whatever the occasion, a 😂 or 🤣 can get the job done.
    • Them: “Just farted in class and I’m pretty sure everyone heard it 👀”
      You: “Hopefully it didn’t smell too bad 😂😂😂”
    • Them: “On cashier duty today, and I think I just checked out my first grade teacher… 👀”
      You: “Did they recognize you? 🤣🤣”
  2. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 12
    2
    Convey your shock with 👀, 😲, or 🫢. Did someone just drop a bombshell in the groupchat using the 👀 emoji? Drop a 👀, 😲, or 🫢 to show some jaw-dropping solidarity.
    • Them: “I’m in NYC and I think I just passed Hugh Jackman on the street 👀👀”
      You: “No way!! 😲😲 Give him my best, LOL”
    • Them: “Did you guys hear that Jeff and Kayla broke up? 👀”
      You: “Whaaa? But they’ve been dating forever 🫢👀”
  3. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 13
    3
    Celebrate exciting news with 👏 or 🎉. A friend or loved one drops a bit of good news into the chat with a 👀 to keep things subtle. Who says that you have to keep things subtle, though? Send a friendly 👏 or 🎉 to let them know that you’re rooting for them.
    • Them: “So… my pregnancy test has 2 lines on it… 👀”
      You: “OMG congratulations!!! 🎉🎉🎉”
    • Them: “Guess who just got into UCLA 👀”
      You: Ahhh congrats!! I’m so proud of you 👏👏”
    4. Advertisement
Section 4 of 4:

👀 (eyes) Emoji Alternatives

  1. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 14
    1
    👁️: The 👁️ can serve as a replacement for the word “saw,” like “I 👁️ that shirt at the store yesterday” or “I 👁️ him at the movie theater.” You can also use it as a replacement for the word “eye,” like “I have an 👁️ doctor appointment tomorrow.”[9] If you’re feeling extra playful, you might send a friend a couple of 👁️👁️ to say “I see you” or “I’m watching you.”
    • A popular spinoff of the 👁️ emoji is the “eyes with lips face,” or 👁️👄👁️. This emoji combo can represent a lot of different things, but it often means “it is what it is.”[10]
  2. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 15
    2
    👁‍🗨: The 👁‍🗨 emoji was created as part of an American Ad Council campaign called “I Am A Witness.” The 👁‍🗨 emoji’s design revolves around the importance of speaking up, and encourages students to speak up when they notice bullying happening around them.[11] Over time, this emoji has come to represent speaking out against harassment in all its forms.[12]
    • “Don’t be afraid to speak up. 👁‍🗨 Your voice matters!”
    • “If you see something, say something 👁‍🗨”
  3. Image titled What Does the Eye Emoji Mean Step 16
    3
    🧿: The 🧿 emoji represents the Nazar amulet, a special protective talisman that directly counteracts the “evil eye.”[13] You can use it to add an extra layer of protection to a message or caption you’ve written about a special person in your life. Some people use 🧿 to express their well-wishes and hopes, too.[14]
    • “My girlfriend means the entire world to me 🧿”
    • “Happy New Year! Wishing you all health and wealth in the coming year 🧿”
    • Since the Nazar amulet has a deep cultural history, emoji enthusiasts advise against using it as a meaningless, colorful addition to your photo captions and posts.
    4. Advertisement

You Might Also Like

What Emojis Mean SexWhat Emojis Mean Sex?
What Does Heart Mean on Social MediaWhat Does <3 Mean on Social Media?
Pinched Fingers EmojiHow to Use & Reply to the 🤌 Italian Hand Emoji
What Does the Upside Down Emoji MeanWhat Does the 🙃 Upside Down Emoji Mean?
What Does the White Heart Emoji MeanWhat Does the 🤍 White Heart Emoji Mean?
Melted Face EmojiWhat Does the Melted Face Emoji 🫠 Mean?
Hug EmojiWhat Does the 🤗 (Hugging Face) Emoji Mean?
What Does the Tongue Emoji MeanWhat Does the 👅 Tongue Emoji Mean?
What Does the Green Heart Emoji MeanWhat Does the 💚 Green Heart Emoji Mean?
What Does the Black Moon Emoji MeanWhat Does the 🌚 Black Moon Emoji Mean?
What Does the Skull Emoji MeanWhat Does the 💀 Skull Emoji Mean?
What Does the Angel Emoji MeanWhat Does the 😇 Angel Emoji Mean?
What Does the Blue Heart Emoji MeanWhat Does the 💙 Blue Heart Emoji Mean?
What Does the Hands Up Emoji MeanWhat Does the 🙌 Hands Up Emoji Mean?
Advertisement

References

  1. ↑ https://whatemoji.org/eyes/
  2. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=%F0%9F%91%80
  3. ↑ https://whatemoji.org/eyes/
  4. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=%F0%9F%91%80
  5. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=%F0%9F%91%80
  6. ↑ https://whatemoji.org/eyes/
  7. ↑ https://whatemoji.org/eyes/
  8. ↑ https://whatemoji.org/eyes/
  9. ↑ https://whatemoji.org/eye/
  1. ↑ https://fortune.com/2020/06/30/it-is-what-it-is-meme-explained-fundraiser-tech-industry/
  2. ↑ https://www.wired.com/2015/10/i-am-a-witness-emoji-ios-9/
  3. ↑ https://whatemoji.org/eye-in-speech-bubble/
  4. ↑ https://www.aier.org/article/every-house-needs-a-nazar-amulet/
  5. ↑ https://whatemoji.org/nazar-amulet/

About This Article

Janice Tieperman
Co-authored by:
Janice Tieperman
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Janice is a professional and creative writer who has worked at wikiHow since 2019. With both a B.A. and M.A. in English from East Stroudsburg University, she has a passion for writing a wide variety of content for anyone and everyone. In her free time, you can find her working on a new crochet pattern, listening to true crime podcasts, or tackling a new creative writing project. This article has been viewed 15,484 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 4
Updated: May 4, 2022
Views: 15,484
Categories: Emoticons and Emojis
Advertisement