Sign of the horns emoji 🤘 (rock on)
🤘 is the sign of the horns: index and little finger up, the middle two folded down under the thumb. It is the rock on gesture — heavy metal, concerts, “this rocks”…
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What the sign of the horns 🤘 (rock on) emoji means
🤘 is the sign of the horns: index and little finger up, the middle two folded down under the thumb. It is the rock on gesture — heavy metal, concerts, “this rocks”, general hype — popularised by Ronnie James Dio in the 1970s. It also has local meanings: it is the Hook ’em Horns sign of the University of Texas Longhorns (and “horns down” is the rival taunt), a sign of the devil in some contexts, and in parts of the Mediterranean an insult implying a cheated partner. Added in Emoji 3.0 (2016), it takes all five skin tones. Do not confuse it with 🤟 love-you gesture, which adds the thumb.
Unicode name: sign of the horns · U+1F918 · Emoji 1.0 (2015) · group: People & Body.
How people use it
- Rock on: concerts, metal, guitars
- Hype: “that’s awesome 🤘”
- Texas Longhorns: game day
- Edgy fun: Halloween, devil jokes
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| sign of the hornsU+1F918 | Rock on; Hook ’em Horns | |
| love-you gestureU+1F91F | ILY in sign language (thumb out) | |
| call me handU+1F919 | Shaka, hang loose | |
| victory handU+270C U+FE0F | Peace | |
| guitarU+1F3B8 | Rock music |
🤘 as a rock and roll emoji
The sign of the horns emoji is the classic rock and roll hand gesture: index and little finger up, middle and ring fingers folded under the thumb. Headbangers flash it at concerts when a solo kicks in, and it’s a natural fit for music posts, playlists, band announcements, and “turn it up” texts.
For fans who want a headbanger emoji, 🤘 is the closest symbol. In texts and social posts, it can stand in for “rock on” or signal that something is cool or loud.
Questions people ask
What does 🤘 mean?
Rock on — the heavy-metal horns. Also the Texas Longhorns sign and, in some cultures, an insult.
What is the difference between 🤘 and 🤟?
🤘 keeps the thumb tucked; 🤟 extends it, which makes it “I love you” in American Sign Language.
What does horns down mean?
The 🤘 turned upside down — a taunt aimed at Texas Longhorns fans by rival teams. There is no upside-down emoji, so people write “🤘 down”.
What is the rock ’n’ roll emoji?
The rock ’n’ roll emoji is 🤘, often called the sign of the horns. It represents rock music, heavy metal, and a gesture of approval or excitement.
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.
