Emoji Guide: 🤝👏✌️ Hand Emojis and Their Meanings

The possibilities for interpretation in 21st-century communication are virtually limitless. Emoji allow people to express their emotions and personalities more “authentically” by increasing the semantic value of visual communication. Emojis have been around for about 17 years now. A messaging sticker is a character encoded as an image and sometimes used as an Emoji. An emoji is a portmanteau of the Japanese words for “image” (e) and “character” (moji).

In the 2010s, when multiple mobile operating systems introduced emojis for smartphone use, they swiftly gained worldwide popularity. We believe you have not used every emoji from every category, especially the hand emojis. The wave hand emoji is one of the most famous examples of this emoji type. With roughly 4,000 emojis, it might be challenging to remember them all. Let’s take a look at some of the hand emojis together.

Hand emojis and their meaning

Expressing emotions and conveying messages through emojis has become an integral part of our digital communication. In this modern era, hand emojis play a significant role in adding nuance and emotion to our texts and social media interactions. From the universally understood thumbs up to the more nuanced gestures like crossed fingers or folded hands, each hand emoji brings a unique meaning to our virtual conversations.

To explore the fascinating meanings behind not only hand emojis but also other popular symbols, check out our article on Decoding Emojis: The True Meaning Behind Popular Emojis

Let’s explore a curated list of hand emojis and their commonly associated meanings, unraveling the expressive world of digital gestures.

1. Two Hands Clapping Emoji  👏

Using this emoji, you can express your joy by clapping your hands in the direction of the sound. Here you’ll find icons that read “Bravo!” may signify a variety of responses, including shouts, applause, clapping, and agreement. The sound lines above the emoji do not appear on other devices or operating systems. People use this hand gesture icon to express their approval of a person’s actions or words. As part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and Emoji 1.0 in 2015, they released the two-handed emoji. The round of applause, hand clap, and golf clap are variations of this emblem.

2. Victory Hand Emoji ✌️

Emoji meanings can range from optimistic to pessimistic when used with this emoji. Alternatively, the winning hand can be used as an emoji to chastise or as a sexual symbol. Making the peace sign in the UK is frowned upon as a hand gesture or even as an emoji. Typical uses of this symbol include two or peace signs. Nearly everyone on the earth uses this universally popular emoji. You’re likely giving the middle finger when using this emoji in the UK. 2015 saw the addition of the winning hand as part of Unicode version 1.1 and Emoji version 1.0.

3. Nail Polish Emoji 💅

People utilize this to seal the deal after a day of pampering or a manicure or pedicure that went well. The nail polish emoji conveys sass, fanciness, composure, or self-confidence in various digital contexts. An applicator appears to be applying pink nail paint to the index finger in the picture. Devices, applications, and operating systems all have a different shade of nail paint. Purple, red, pink, and even turquoise are all possibilities. Previously, both Windows and Android exhibited a single bottle of nail polish. 2010 saw the addition of nail polish to Unicode 6.0 and Emoji 1.0 in 2015.

4. Thumbs Up Emoji 👍

A thumbs-up is a common emoji used to convey approval, agreement, or encouragement in digital interactions, especially in Western countries. In addition to signifying agreement, this emoji also conveys gratitude. Today, thanks to the widespread availability of emoji thumbs-up, it has become the most popular choice for video conferencing. This emoji is a common way to express agreement with the speaker or signify that you are virtually present. 2010 saw the addition of the Thumbs Up emoji to the Unicode 6 standard. Using this emoji merely means you agree with something excellent or pleasant. In other words, it carries no negative meaning at all.

5. Ok Hand Emoji 👌

There is a big difference between the emoji’s name and how people use it, as a way of agreeing or just saying, “Okay.” Additionally, the Italians use this emoji to convey their thanks for the delectable fare they eat. Like them, you may be misusing the emoji. The shape of the fingers varies depending on the device, operating system, and application. The “OK Hand Sign” was added to Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and introduced to Emoji 1.0 in 2015. As a form of discrimination, several cultures view this hand sign.

6. Index Pointing Up Emoji ☝️

This emoji represents a single finger pointing upwards in the air. However, the emoji with the backhand index pointing up should not be confused with this one. It is used in a different context because it has a distinct meaning. People use this emoji to express gratitude, show dominance, or solicit information from others. Because it first debuted in Unicode 1.1 in 1993, this emoji is one of the most venerable. In 2015, Emoji 1.0 also included this hand gesture emoji.

Conclusion

Since the pandemic began, emojis based on hand movements have become the most popular emojis. But the emojis’ names and uses may still surprise some people, and you can see why they’re one of the most widely used emojis. To avoid misinterpretation, the recipient must understand how to use these hand gesture emojis in the correct context, and this post makes it possible to utilize hand gesture emojis correctly.

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