Palm Up Hand Emoji
U+1FAF4:palm_up_hand:Skin tonesAbout Palm Up Hand π«΄
Palm Up Hand () is part of the People & Body group in Unicode. Added in Unicode E14.0. Type on GitHub and Slack to use it. Click copy above to grab it, paste it anywhere.
Works in iMessage, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, Instagram, Twitter, Gmail, and every app that supports Unicode. Pick a skin tone above to customize it.
Often associated with beckon, catch, come, and 8 more keywords.
Meaning varies across cultures, see cultural notes below.
Scroll down for the full story: meaning, trends, combos, and more.
How it looks
What does it mean?
The palm up hand is an open hand shown in profile with the palm facing upward. It looks like you're about to catch something, offer something, or gesture "well?" to someone who owes you an explanation. The Unicode Consortium originally proposed it alongside its sibling π«³ (palm down hand) as a compositional building block. The idea wasn't just to give people another hand to wave around. It was to create emojis that work as verbs when paired with object emojis: π«΄π€ catches the mic, π«΄π₯ receives a hot potato, π«΄β¨ offers something special.
In practice, people use it for a wider range of things than Unicode imagined. It's become the "here you go" hand, the "explain yourself" hand, the "I'm waiting" hand, and the "behold" hand, all depending on what comes before and after it in the message. Jennifer Daniel, chair of the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee, wrote that "hand emoji are gesture" and that the names of these emojis are descriptive rather than prescriptive. The name says what the hand looks like. What it means is up to you.
In texting, π«΄ fills three main roles. First, it's the offering hand ("here, take this π«΄"). Second, it's the demanding hand ("well? π«΄" when someone hasn't responded). Third, it's the presentation hand, used to introduce a statement with flair, like a magician revealing a trick.
On TikTok and Twitter, it shows up most often as a sassy "present your argument" gesture, especially in debates and quote tweets. It reads as confident and a little impatient. In Slack and workplace settings, it works as a friendlier version of "any updates?" or "over to you." Body language research backs this up: psychologist Allan Pease found that open-palm gestures receive an 84% positive response from audiences, compared to just 28% for finger-pointing. The palm up hand carries that same non-threatening energy into digital conversations.
It's a hand in profile with the palm facing upward, used to represent offering, requesting, beckoning, or presenting something. It's one of the most versatile hand emojis because its meaning shifts based on context and what emojis surround it. Think of it as an open invitation that can go in any direction.
What it means from...
It's a beckoning hand. If a crush sends π«΄, they might literally mean "come here" or they're presenting something to you (a compliment, a suggestion, an invite). In flirty contexts it reads as confident and playful, like extending a hand to dance. Pair it with a heart and the meaning gets obvious fast.
Usually practical. "Where's the remote? π«΄" or "explain yourself π«΄" after a suspicious text notification. Between partners it swings between genuine requests and teasing demands. The palm-up energy is inherently non-aggressive, so even demands feel lighter.
The "well??" hand. Friends use it to demand tea (gossip), request receipts (screenshots), or present their latest find with dramatic flair. π«΄β¨ before a restaurant recommendation is standard friend behavior. It's also the universal gesture for "your turn" in a conversation.
Parents learning new emojis will use this literally: "hand me that" or "give this a try." Between siblings, it's more likely sarcastic: "oh please, explain how that's a good idea π«΄"
The gentlest possible nudge. "Waiting on those numbers π«΄" reads softer than any amount of text could. In professional settings, the open-palm gesture's psychological association with trust and non-aggression makes it one of the safer hand emojis to use at work.
On social media, strangers use it to present something to an audience ("behold π«΄") or to demand proof during an argument ("source? π«΄"). It's become a standard reply-guy emoji for "I'm waiting for your evidence."
Flirty or friendly?
Palm up hand leans friendly by default because it's a gesture emoji, not a face. But context can push it romantic, especially when paired with hearts (π«΄β€οΈ) or used as a beckoning gesture ("come over π«΄"). The inviting energy of an open palm reads as warm and confident, which can feel flirty to the right person at the right time.
- β’Flirty when: beckoning someone, paired with hearts/sparkles, used after a compliment
- β’Friendly when: asking for something, presenting information, combined with objects
- β’Sassy when: used alone after a question or demand, especially with no text
Usually one of three things: he's offering something ('here π«΄'), demanding something ('well? π«΄'), or presenting something with confidence ('check this out π«΄'). In flirty contexts, it can work as a beckoning gesture. In casual conversation, it's a nudge. Read the words around it.
Same versatility. She might be presenting something with flair ('here you go π«΄β¨'), asking for something ('your turn π«΄'), or gesturing 'well?' after you left her on read. The sass level depends entirely on the conversation history.
Emoji combos
Origin story
The palm up hand started as proposal L2/20-213, filed in 2020, which argued for two new directional hand emojis: palm facing up and palm facing down. The proposal's key argument wasn't about the gestures themselves. It was about compositionality. Existing hand emojis were all closed symbols, self-contained gestures like π (wave) or β (fist). The palm-up and palm-down hands were proposed as open-ended building blocks that create meaning when placed next to other emojis.
The proposal demonstrated this with examples: π«³π€ for dropping the mic, π«΄π₯ for receiving a hot potato, π«΄β for a handoff. Jennifer Daniel wrote about this design philosophy on her Substack, emphasizing that these emojis are descriptive (they describe what the hand looks like) not prescriptive (they don't dictate what the gesture means). The names are coordinates, not definitions.
The palm-up gesture itself is ancient. It's one of the most universal human body language signals. Research published in Frontiers in Communication traced the "palm-up puzzle" across cultures and sign languages, finding that palm-up appears worldwide to mean offering, requesting, and expressing uncertainty. It predates written language. Making it an emoji was less invention than recognition.
Added in Unicode 14.0 (September 2021) as part of Emoji 14.0. Codepoint . Part of a batch of ten new hand gestures in the 14.0 release. The original proposal (L2/20-213) was titled "Hand with palm facing up and Hand with palm facing down for Unicode 14.0" and argued for both emojis as compositional elements that gain meaning when combined with object emojis. The proposal demonstrated use cases like dropping the mic (π«³π€) and tossing a hot potato (π«΄π₯). Supports five skin tone modifiers.
Design history
- 2020Proposal L2/20-213 filed for palm-up and palm-down hand emojisβ
- 2021Approved in Unicode 14.0 (September) alongside 9 other new hand gesturesβ
- 2022Widely available on iOS 15.4, Android 12L, and other major platforms
- 2023Jennifer Daniel writes about the directional hand design philosophy on Substackβ
Around the world
The palm-up gesture is one of the most cross-culturally consistent body language signals, but it's not universal. In most Western and East Asian cultures, showing an open upward palm means offering, receiving, or asking. In Japan, beckoning with the palm up is a polite way to get someone's attention, while palm-down beckoning is standard for calling someone over.
But in Pakistan, an open palm emoji can be read as hurling a curse at the recipient. In parts of the Mediterranean, the open-palm gesture (Greek moutza) thrust forward is deeply disrespectful. The emoji's sideways profile avoids the worst of these cultural minefields since it reads more as "holding" than "pushing toward," but awareness matters.
In religious contexts, upward-facing palms carry spiritual weight. The gesture resembles Islamic dua (supplicatory prayer) and shows up in Buddhist and Hindu iconography as a mudra of offering or receiving blessings. Users in Muslim-majority countries sometimes use π«΄ or π€² interchangeably for prayer contexts.
Not in most Western and East Asian cultures, where palm-up means offering or openness. But in Pakistan, an open palm can be read as a curse, and in parts of the Mediterranean, a thrust-forward open palm (moutza) is deeply insulting. The emoji's sideways profile softens these associations, but cultural awareness matters.
Popularity ranking
Often confused with
Pinched fingers (π€) bunches the fingers together in the Italian 'che vuoi?' gesture, meaning 'what do you want?' or frustration. Palm up hand (π«΄) is an open flat hand facing upward. One is closed and sassy, the other is open and inviting. They share the 'demanding' vibe but the gesture is completely different.
Pinched fingers (π€) bunches the fingers together in the Italian 'che vuoi?' gesture, meaning 'what do you want?' or frustration. Palm up hand (π«΄) is an open flat hand facing upward. One is closed and sassy, the other is open and inviting. They share the 'demanding' vibe but the gesture is completely different.
Palms up together (π€²) shows two cupped hands, like receiving or praying. Palm up hand is a single hand in profile. Palms up together is receptive and humble. Palm up hand is more assertive and directional.
Palms up together (π€²) shows two cupped hands, like receiving or praying. Palm up hand is a single hand in profile. Palms up together is receptive and humble. Palm up hand is more assertive and directional.
π«΄ is a single hand facing up in profile. π€² (palms up together) shows two cupped hands, often used for prayer (especially Islamic dua) or receiving. One hand is assertive and directional. Two cupped hands are receptive and humble. Different gesture, different energy.
No. The Italian 'che vuoi?' gesture is π€ (pinched fingers), where the fingers are bunched together. π«΄ is an open flat palm facing up. They share an impatient 'well?' energy but the actual gesture is completely different. The Italian hand emoji has its own Unicode proposal and cultural history.
Do's and don'ts
Yes, it's one of the safer hand emojis for professional settings. Body language research shows palm-up gestures are perceived as trustworthy and non-aggressive. Using π«΄ in Slack to mean 'over to you' or 'any updates?' is widely understood and unlikely to offend.
Caption ideas
Aesthetic sets
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Fun facts
- β’The original Unicode proposal used the phrase "throw a hot potato" as an example use case, making π«΄π₯ one of the first intended emoji combinations for this emoji.
- β’Research published in Frontiers in Communication calls the palm-up gesture the 'palm-up puzzle' because it appears in virtually every human culture and sign language system, always meaning some variation of offering, requesting, or not knowing.
- β’Allan Pease's body language studies found that audiences perceive speakers with upward-facing palms as 84% more trustworthy than those using pointed or closed gestures. The emoji carries the same subconscious signal.
- β’Jennifer Daniel described the palm-up and palm-down pair as hands with 'descriptive, not prescriptive' names. The CLDR name 'palm up hand' tells you what it looks like, not what it means. That ambiguity is intentional.
Common misinterpretations
- β’Some users read π«΄ as aggressive ('give it to me NOW') when the sender meant it gently ('here, take this'). The line between offering and demanding depends entirely on context and the words around it.
- β’In Muslim communities, π«΄ sometimes gets used interchangeably with π€² for prayer, but they're different gestures. π€² specifically represents dua (supplicatory prayer) with two cupped hands. π«΄ is a single open hand.
In pop culture
- β’Jennifer Daniel's Substack essay "Gotta hand it to you" is the definitive deep dive on how directional hand emojis were designed and why they matter. She argues these hands are gesture verbs, not static symbols.
- β’The "source? π«΄" reply format became a recognized meme on Twitter/X for demanding evidence in arguments, functioning as a more polished version of the classic "citation needed" response.
Trivia
For developers
- β’Codepoint: . Single codepoint with skin tone support via Fitzpatrick modifiers ( through ).
- β’Shortcodes: on GitHub, Slack, and Discord. CLDR: .
- β’Skin tone handling: Five skin tone variants. Default is yellow. When building emoji pickers, show the default with a skin tone selector dropdown.
- β’This emoji was part of the largest hand gesture batch in Unicode history (14.0, ten new hands). If your app supports 14.0, you have the full directional set.
- β’Screen readers announce this as 'palm up hand' which accurately describes the visual but doesn't convey the contextual meaning (offering, demanding, etc.).
September 2021, as part of Unicode 14.0 and Emoji 14.0. It was one of ten new hand gesture emojis in that release, the largest single batch of hand emojis ever. It became widely available on phones in 2022.
See the full Emoji Developer Tools guide for regex patterns, encoding helpers, and more.
When you use π«΄, what are you usually doing?
Select all that apply
- Palm Up Hand Emoji (emojipedia.org)
- Hand with palm facing up and down - Unicode Proposal L2/20-213 (unicode.org)
- Gotta hand it to you - Jennifer Daniel (jenniferdaniel.substack.com)
- The Palm-Up Principle: Using Body Language to Build Trust (slidemodel.com)
- The Palm-Up Puzzle: Meanings and Origins (frontiersin.org)
- Palm Up Hand: Meaning & Usage (emojiterra.com)
- Emoji cultural differences (restofworld.org)
- Hand gesture body language - Allan Pease (westsidetoastmasters.com)
- Specific hand gestures make you more persuasive (sciencealert.com)
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