Hand facing down emoji 🫳
The palm down hand emoji 🫳 shows an open hand with the palm facing down. It’s often used to indicate a downward direction or to represent holding, pressing, or lowering something.
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What the palm down hand emoji means
The palm down hand emoji 🫳 shows an open hand with the palm turned toward the ground. It belongs to the same family as the raised hand and the hand with fingers splayed, but the downward orientation gives it a distinctly different feel. It’s the opposite of the palm up hand emoji, which faces upward.
In most uses, 🫳 suggests a downward motion or position. It can be used to indicate holding something in place, pressing down, or pointing toward the ground. Some people also use it to ask for quiet or to signal “wait a moment.” The gesture can also represent lowering volume or intensity, like turning down music or calming a situation.
How people use the palm down hand emoji
The palm down hand emoji appears in practical instructions and playful messages. It works well for pointing downward, asking someone to sit or wait, or adding emphasis to a request.
- Offering a seat: “🫳 Sit down, I saved you a spot.”
- Telling someone to wait: “🫳 Hold on, let me check.”
- Indicating a surface: “Put the keys on the table 🫳”
- Asking for lower volume: “🫳 Turn the music down”
- Showing a downward direction: “The ball went 🫳 right into the goal.”
Pair it with other hand emojis or object emojis to add context. The palm down hand works especially well before messages about sitting, waiting, or placing something.
Compare palm down hand with similar emoji
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| palm down handU+1FAF3 | Palm faces down; used for downward directions or pressing down | |
| palm up handU+1FAF4 | Palm faces up; often used for offering or asking | |
| raised back of handU+1F91A | Back of hand faces forward | |
| raised handU+270B | Palm faces forward; used to get attention or signify “stop” | |
| hand with fingers splayedU+1F590 U+FE0F | All fingers spread; similar to raised hand but more open | |
| waving handU+1F44B | Hand waves side to side; used for greetings and goodbyes |
Skin tone variations
Like most hand emojis, the palm down hand supports skin tone modifiers. You’ll see versions such as 🫳🏻, 🫳🏼, 🫳🏽, 🫳🏾, and 🫳🏿. These don’t change the meaning—they just let you match the hand to your own or to the person you’re talking about.
The default yellow version 🫳 is meant to be neutral and is often used when skin tone isn’t relevant, or when the focus is on the gesture itself rather than the person making it. Some people choose a tone to make the emoji feel more personal in a direct conversation.
How to type the palm down hand emoji
The palm down hand is one of the newer hand emojis, so if you’re on an older device, it might not appear at all. On most modern phones and computers, you can find it in the emoji keyboard under the hand gestures section, or by searching for “palm down” or “hand facing down”. Check emoji keyboard shortcuts for more tips.
Just highlight and copy the character, then paste it wherever you need it. This is especially useful if your keyboard doesn’t support the emoji.
If you use it often, consider adding it to your keyboard’s favourites or a text replacement shortcut, so a few letters can expand into the emoji. A quick search in your device’s emoji panel should also bring it up, even if it’s buried in a category.
Questions people ask
What does 🫳 mean?
The palm down hand emoji 🫳 typically indicates a downward direction or a pressing down motion. It can also be used to suggest holding something in place, asking for quiet, or signalling a gentle “wait.”
What’s the difference between 🫳 and 🫴?
The palm down hand 🫳 faces downward, suggesting lowering, sitting, or holding down. The palm up hand 🫴 faces upward, often used to offer something or to ask for something, like “give me” or “here you go”.
Can I change the skin tone of 🫳?
Yes, the palm down hand emoji supports all five standard skin tone modifiers. On most platforms, you can long-press or right-click the emoji to see the tone options. The meaning stays the same regardless of tone.
Is the palm down hand emoji the same as the raised hand emoji?
No, the raised hand emoji ✋ faces forward with the palm out, while the palm down hand 🫳 faces downward. The raised hand is more often used for stopping or getting attention; the palm down hand suggests lowering, pressing, or holding.
Will the palm down hand emoji display on all devices?
The palm down hand emoji may not appear on older devices or apps that have not been updated. If you see a blank box or question mark, try updating your device, or copy the emoji from a webpage and paste it into your message.
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.
