Backwards hand emoji 🤚
The backwards hand emoji 🤚 is also known as the raised back of hand emoji. Here you'll find its meaning, common uses, and how to tell it apart from similar hand emojis.
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What the backwards hand emoji means
The backwards hand emoji 🤚 shows a hand with the back facing you, fingers together and pointing up. The palm is turned away, so you see the back of the hand and fingernails. It is the same hand as the raised hand emoji ✋ but flipped to show the other side.
The emoji’s official Unicode name is “raised back of hand”. The name describes the literal orientation: the back of the hand is raised, as if you were holding your hand up with the palm facing away from you.
How people use the backwards hand emoji
Because the palm is hidden, 🤚 often carries a different tone than ✋. It can be used to show a backhand in sports, to indicate a dismissive or sassy “talk to the hand” gesture, or simply to add variety when you want a hand emoji that isn’t a palm-forward stop.
Tennis players and other athletes sometimes use it when discussing a backhand shot. It also appears in conversations about showing the back of your hand, such as pointing to your nails or a new manicure. Choose 🤚 when you want to highlight the back of the hand rather than a clear stop or greeting.
Compare raised back of hand with similar emoji
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| raised back of handU+1F91A | Back of hand facing you, fingers together | |
| waving handU+1F44B | Hand waving side to side, palm often facing out | |
| hand with fingers splayedU+1F590 U+FE0F | Palm facing out with fingers spread | |
| raised handU+270B | Palm facing out with fingers together, classic stop | |
| vulcan saluteU+1F596 | Fingers split in a V, palm out, Vulcan greeting | |
| rightwards handU+1FAF1 | Hand pointing to the right |
Backwards hand vs raised hand: how to tell them apart
The raised hand emoji ✋ shows the palm facing forward, while 🤚 shows the back of the hand. That small difference changes the gesture: ✋ is a clear “stop” or high-five, while 🤚 feels more like a backhand or a raised hand shown from an unusual angle.
- ✋ raised hand – palm out, used for stop or high-five
- 🖐️ hand with fingers splayed – palm out with fingers spread
- 🖖 Vulcan salute – palm out with fingers parted in a V shape
- 👋 waving hand – hand moving side to side, usually for greeting
- 🫱 rightwards hand – hand pointing to the right
- 🫲 leftwards hand – hand pointing to the left
How to copy and type the backwards hand emoji
You can copy 🤚 directly from the top of this page. On most devices, you can also open the emoji keyboard: on Windows press Windows key + . (full stop), on Mac press Control + Command + Space, and on Android or iOS tap the emoji icon on your keyboard. For more details, see our guide to emoji keyboard shortcuts.
When choosing a skin tone, you can long-press or right-click the emoji on many platforms to pick a modifier. On most emoji keyboards, holding the 🤚 button reveals skin tone options.
Questions people ask
What does the backwards hand emoji mean?
It shows the back of a hand with fingers together and pointing up. It often represents the back of your hand, a backhand motion, or a variation of a stop or high-five where the palm is hidden.
Is the backwards hand emoji the same as the raised hand emoji?
No, ✋ is the raised hand emoji with the palm facing forward. 🤚 shows the back of the hand. They look similar but the palm/back difference changes the gesture.
What is the official name of the 🤚 emoji?
The Unicode name is “raised back of hand”. It is commonly called the backwards hand emoji.
How do you type the 🤚 emoji?
You can also copy it from this page.
Does the backwards hand emoji have skin tone options?
Yes, like most hand emojis, 🤚 supports five skin tone modifiers plus the default yellow.
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.
