Emoji hugs and kisses 🤗
The smiling face with open hands emoji 🤗 is the closest thing to an official hugs and kisses emoji. It shows a happy face with two open hands, ready for a warm embrace.
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What the hugs and kisses emoji means
The 🤗 emoji shows a cheerful yellow face with two open hands stretched out towards the viewer. Its official Unicode name is smiling face with open hands, but it is best known as the hugging face or the hugs and kisses emoji.
The open hands mimic a welcoming embrace, which makes the emoji a simple way to send a warm virtual hug. It is used for greetings, congratulations, gratitude and comfort — any moment where a friendly hug would feel right.
Despite the nickname, this emoji does not include an actual kiss. When people want to send both, they often add a kissing emoji such as 😘 or the kiss mark emoji 💋 after it. That combination reads as hugs and kisses in a playful, affectionate way.
How people use the hugging face emoji
🤗 has a warm, approachable tone in the smiley category. It takes the edge off a message, turning a plain statement into something warmer.
- Comfort: “I’m so sorry to hear that. Sending you a massive hug 🤗”
- Reunions: “Landed. See you in twenty minutes 🤗”
- Gratitude: “Thank you for the present — you’re too kind 🤗”
- Excitement: “Guess who got the job 🤗”
Because the face is smiling and the hands are open, the tone usually comes across as sincere rather than sarcastic. It is a safe choice when you want to sound genuinely pleased, even in a quick reply.
In group chats and on social media, 🤗 often appears after good news, under birthday posts, or when someone shares a personal win. It works as a stand-alone reaction or as a punctuation mark at the end of a sentence.
Compare smiling face with open hands with similar emoji
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| smiling face with open handsU+1F917 | Warm hug, friendly greeting | |
| face with hand over mouthU+1F92D | Playful surprise or suppressed laughter | |
| face with open eyes and hand over mouthU+1FAE2 | Shock or embarrassment | |
| face with peeking eyeU+1FAE3 | Shyness or hiding curiosity | |
| shushing faceU+1F92B | Asking for quiet or secrecy | |
| thinking faceU+1F914 | Curiosity or deep thought | |
| saluting faceU+1FAE1 | Respect or acknowledgement |
Hugs and kisses emoji vs similar hand-face emoji
The smiling face with open hands belongs to a small set of face-hand emojis, each with a different mood.
The face with hand over mouth 🤭 suggests playful surprise or suppressed laughter. Face with peeking eye 🫣 shows shyness or embarrassment, and the shushing face 🤫 asks for quiet or secrecy. None of them carry the same open, affectionate warmth as 🤗.
Scroll to the comparison table on this page for a side-by-side look at all seven face-hand emojis in this group.
How to type the hugging face emoji
The quickest way is to copy it from this page: tap or click the 🤗 character, then paste it into your message. But if you prefer to type it yourself, most platforms include it in the emoji keyboard.
On an iPhone, tap the smiley face icon; on Android, use the emoji icon on your keyboard and type in the search bar.
On a Windows computer, press Win + . (full stop) and search for “hug”. On a Mac, press Control + Command + Space, then type “hug” in the search field. The emoji appears under smileys and people.
Questions people ask
What does the 🤗 emoji mean?
It is the smiling face with open hands, also called the hugging face. It sends a warm hug, often used to greet, comfort, or celebrate.
Is there a single hugs and kisses emoji?
No single emoji is officially called “hugs and kisses”. The closest is 🤗 for the hug part. To add a kiss, pair it with 😘 or the kiss mark emoji 💋.
How do I type the hugging face emoji?
On a computer, use Win + . (Windows) or Control + Command + Space (Mac) and search for “hug”.
What is the difference between 🤗 and 🤭?
🤗 shows open hands and a smiling face, meaning warmth and affection. 🤭 has the hand over the mouth, suggesting playful surprise or suppressed laughter.
When should I use the 🤗 emoji?
Use it when you want to send a virtual hug, show enthusiasm, thank someone warmly, or soften a message so it feels friendlier.
About this guide
Written and maintained by the Emoji Directory editorial team, without ads or sponsorship. Meanings describe how the emoji is commonly used in public posts and messages, not an official definition. Names, code points, versions, keywords and translations come from the Unicode Emoji 18.0 and CLDR data; shortcodes from the gemoji project. Last reviewed . Spotted a mistake or a new usage? Tell us, or read how the directory is made.
