Index pointing at the viewer emoji 🫵 (pointing at you)
🫵 is the index pointing at the viewer: a hand with the finger aimed straight out of the screen at you.
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What the index pointing at the viewer 🫵 (pointing at you) emoji means
🫵 is the index pointing at the viewer: a hand with the finger aimed straight out of the screen at you. It is the emoji for “you” — “🫵 did this”, “🫵 are the problem”, Uncle Sam’s “I want you” — and for calling someone out, playfully or not. Added in Emoji 14.0 (2021), it filled a real gap: the older pointing hands 👉 👈 👆 👇 all point somewhere else. It takes all five skin tones. The pair 👉👈, two fingers pointing at each other, is a different gesture: shy or bashful, usually with 🥺.
Unicode name: index pointing at the viewer · U+1FAF5 · Emoji 14.0 (2021) · group: People & Body.
How people use it
- You: replacing the word in a caption or reply
- Calling out: accusations, real or joking
- Encouragement: “🫵 can do this”
- Memes: the “it’s you” reveal, Uncle Sam posters
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| index pointing at the viewerU+1FAF5 | Pointing straight at you | |
| backhand index pointing rightU+1F449 | Pointing at the next thing | |
| backhand index pointing leftU+1F448 | Pointing back; with 👉 = shy | |
| index pointing upU+261D U+FE0F | One point, attention | |
| backhand index pointing upU+1F446 | Pointing above, “see above” |
Pointing at the camera
When a hand points straight at the lens, it feels like it’s pointing at the camera — and that’s exactly what 🫵 does. The finger is drawn in perspective, aimed directly out of the screen, so it reads as the classic “you on camera” device from posters and YouTube thumbnails.
The finger forms a line leading to the viewer, similar to an arrow with a hand at the end. It’s a simple but effective way to single someone out in a message, making it feel direct and personal, as if the sender is pointing right at whoever is looking at the screen.
Skin tones for the pointing at you emoji
🫵 supports five skin tone modifiers. Add the appropriate tone after the base emoji to get 🫵🏻 (light), 🫵🏼 (medium-light), 🫵🏽 (medium), 🫵🏾 (medium-dark) or 🫵🏿 (dark).
The gesture and meaning stay identical; the tone only changes the colour of the hand. Choosing a tone doesn’t change how the emoji is read — a medium-tone 🫵🏽 still points at the viewer, just with a hand that may match your own or the person you’re addressing. The pointing direction and the viewer as the target remain the same in every skin tone.
Questions people ask
What does 🫵 mean?
“You.” It points at the reader, so it accuses, singles out or encourages depending on the words around it.
What does 👉👈 mean?
Two index fingers pointing at each other, usually with 🥺: shy, bashful, asking for something timidly. It is a separate gesture from 🫵.
Why can’t some people see 🫵?
It needs Emoji 14.0 support (iOS 15.4, Android 12L or newer). Older devices show a box.
What do the different skin tones of 🫵 mean?
All skin tone versions of 🫵 mean the same thing: pointing at the viewer. The tone only changes the colour of the hand to suit your preference or context.
Is there an emoji pointing at myself?
No, there is no dedicated emoji that points at the person using it. 🫵 points outward at the viewer, so it doesn’t work for pointing at yourself.
What is the emoji for pointing at self?
There is no dedicated emoji that shows a hand pointing back at the person making the gesture. The closest is 🫵, which points straight out at the viewer, not the sender. If you send it, it appears to point at the person reading your message, so it does not work as a self-pointing gesture.
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.
