Moon emoji
Copy any moon emoji: the eight lunar phases in order, the crescent π people use for night and sleep, and the four moon faces with their odd, cheeky meanings.
Published Β· Updated
Thirteen moons and what they mean
The moon emoji come in three groups. First, the eight phases ππππππππ, which are literal: new moon through waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, last quarter and waning crescent. If you want the one that matches tonight, the current moon phase emoji page works it out in your browser.
Second, π (crescent moon), the yellow crescent used for night, bedtime, βgood nightβ, Ramadan and anything moody or dreamy. It is also the shape of the Do Not Disturb icon on iPhones, so it doubles as βIβm offlineβ. Third, the faces: π (new moon face), π (full moon face), π (first quarter moon face) and π (last quarter moon face). These are where the slang lives.
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Use it for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| crescent moonU+1F319 | Night, sleep, calm, βgood nightβ | Not a phase; use π or π for an actual crescent phase | |
| full moonU+1F315 | Full moon, brightness, werewolf jokes | Looks like a plain circle at small sizes | |
| new moonU+1F311 | New moon, darkness, βnothing to seeβ | Almost invisible on dark backgrounds | |
| new moon faceU+1F31A | Cheeky, sly, mildly creepy, βI know somethingβ | The face is the joke; it unsettles some readers | |
| full moon faceU+1F31D | Smug, dreamy, awkwardly pleased | Often used as a sarcastic βlovelyβ | |
| first quarter moon faceU+1F31B | Sleepy, drifting off; first quarter moon face | Rare; mostly decorative | |
| last quarter moon faceU+1F31C | Sleepy, drifting off; last quarter moon face | Rare; mostly decorative |
The phase order, so you get it right
| Emoji | Phase | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| π | New moon | Dark; the Moon sits between Earth and Sun |
| π | Waxing crescent | A sliver lit on the right (Northern Hemisphere) |
| π | First quarter | Right half lit |
| π | Waxing gibbous | More than half, growing |
| π | Full moon | Fully lit |
| π | Waning gibbous | More than half, shrinking |
| π | Last quarter | Left half lit |
| π | Waning crescent | A sliver lit on the left |
The emoji artwork follows the Northern Hemisphere view. From the Southern Hemisphere the lit side appears reversed, so π looks like π in the sky. A full cycle takes about 29.5 days, which is why a βmoon phaseβ message a month apart usually shows the same emoji.
Text faces you can copy
Plain-character faces that paste anywhere. Tap one to copy.
- crescent
- waning crescent
- night sky
- moons
- moonlight
The moon face emoji, the dark moon and the moon with eyes
The moon face emoji are the four faces that add eyes and a mouth to a moon shape: π new moon face, π full moon face, π first quarter moon face and π last quarter moon face. They are used for tone rather than astronomy, so the phase rarely matters.
The dark moon emoji π stands for a sly, cheeky or slightly creepy glance. Think of a knowing look, a bad pun, or quietly watching a conversation without joining in. It looks blank and a little sinister, but in most chats it is playful.
The other faces are straightforward: π is warm and friendly, often used for βIβm over the moonβ or a bright mood. π and π are usually just decorative.
How to show an eclipse with the moon emoji
There is no single eclipse emoji in the standard set. The closest match is π new moon, a completely dark disc that reads as a solar eclipse when paired with βοΈ. For a total eclipse, you can write βοΈπ.
If you want to avoid confusion, describe the eclipse in words and use the sun and moon emoji together. The new moon emoji is also useful for any βdark side of the moonβ reference, not just eclipses.
Chat examples
Real messages with π, and a reply that fits.
look outside π
wow, itβs huge tonight
night night π
sleep well π΄
π new moon, new plans
manifesting β¨
Questions people ask
What does the π moon emoji mean?
New moon face. People use it for a sly, cheeky or slightly creepy tone: a knowing look, a bad pun, or βI saw what you didβ. It is almost never used to mean the actual new moon.
What is the difference between π and π?
π is the crescent moon symbol, used for night and sleep. π is the waxing crescent phase, one of the eight astronomical phases.
Which moon emoji is today?
Use the current moon phase page, which calculates tonightβs phase from the lunar cycle and shows the matching emoji to copy.
Is there a plain text moon symbol that works in every font?
No symbol is guaranteed in every font, but β½ (first quarter moon) and βΎ (last quarter moon) are the standard plain text moon symbols. They are useful in documents, code or usernames.
Do I need a special font to see the moon emoji?
The moon emoji is a standard Unicode character, so it renders in any font that includes emoji support. Most modern phones and computers already have such a font built in, so you should not need to install anything extra.
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.
