Magnifying glass emoji 🔍 🔎
🔍 is the magnifying glass tilted left and 🔎 the one tilted right. They are the search emoji — “searching for…”, job hunts, lost items, “zoom in on that” — and…
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What the magnifying glass 🔍 🔎 emoji means
🔍 is the magnifying glass tilted left and 🔎 the one tilted right. They are the search emoji — “searching for…”, job hunts, lost items, “zoom in on that” — and investigating: looking closely at a photo, fact-checking, detective work. 🔍 is the universal search icon in apps. Both are original 2010 emoji. Sleuth set: 🕵️ detective, 🧐 face with monocle, 👀 eyes; the lab version 🔬 microscope.
Unicode name: magnifying glass tilted left · U+1F50D · Emoji 0.6 (original set) · group: Objects.
How people use it
- Searching: jobs, flats, lost things
- Zoom in: details in photos
- Investigating: fact-checks, sleuthing
- Search bars: app copy
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| magnifying glass tilted leftU+1F50D | Search | |
| magnifying glass tilted rightU+1F50E | Search, right | |
| detectiveU+1F575 U+FE0F | Investigating | |
| face with monocleU+1F9D0 | Inspecting | |
| eyesU+1F440 | Looking |
Investigate and discover with the magnifying glass emoji
The magnifying glass emoji does double duty for both investigating and discovering. 🔍 works as a shorthand for looking closer at a claim, rumour or problem — “Let me investigate” before you fact-check a wild story or dig into the fine print.
On the discovery side, the same symbol signals a new find or a revelation. “I just discovered the best bakery 🔍” reads like a proud moment of uncovering something worth sharing. Paired with 🕵️ or 👀, it leans investigative; with ✨ or 💡, it tilts toward a breakthrough.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between 🔍 and 🔎?
Only the tilt: 🔍 leans left, 🔎 right. Most apps use 🔍 for search.
What does 🔍 mean from a guy?
He is looking for something, or looking closely at what you sent.
Is there a search emoji?
🔍 is the search emoji.
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.
