Leftwards Hand Emoji

The Leftwards Hand emoji 🫲 shows an open palm extending to the left, with the palm facing up or sideways. It means offering, giving, presenting, or pointing something leftward. People use it to hand over an idea, invite a response, gesture toward the left, or pair it with another hand for a handshake-like moment.

What Does the Leftwards Hand Emoji Mean?

The Leftwards Hand emoji means an open hand reaching out to the left, usually to offer, present, or direct attention in that direction.

Unicode describes it as LEFTWARDS HAND, and its official shortcode is :leftwards_hand:. The picture is a single hand, palm open, fingers together, and the wrist angled so the whole gesture points toward the left side of the screen. Because the palm is shown flat and open, it reads as a friendly, non-threatening gesture, closer to "here you go" than to "stop."

That open palm gives the emoji a few overlapping meanings, and the surrounding message usually decides which one applies:

• Offering or giving: handing something over, such as an idea, a favor, or a gift.
• Presenting: showing something to the left, like a product, a result, or a caption's subject.
• Directional pointing: indicating "this way" or "look to the left."
• Gentle pushing or waving off: a soft "go on" or "move along" gesture in some contexts.

Where Does the Leftwards Hand Emoji Come From?

The Leftwards Hand emoji was added to Unicode 14.0 and Emoji 14.0 at the codepoint U+1FAF2, and it belongs to the People & Body category.

It arrived alongside its mirror image, the Rightwards Hand emoji, as part of a release that expanded hand gestures so that people could express directional and handing-over actions more precisely. Both emojis support skin tones, so you can choose a shade that matches your own. Before these two existed, people relied on pointing fingers or the generic Raised Hand, which is a stop or high-five gesture rather than an offering.

Because it is a newer character, it only displays correctly on updated systems. Older devices may show an empty box or a question mark instead of the hand. The platform section below lists the minimum versions.

How Do You Use the Leftwards Hand Emoji?

You use the Leftwards Hand emoji when you want to hand something over, point toward the left, or add a welcoming, open gesture to a message.

To offer or hand something over

The palm-up feel of the emoji makes it a natural fit for sharing. You can use it when passing the conversation to someone, offering help, or presenting a suggestion.

• Here's my draft, over to you 🫲
• Take the last slice, it's yours 🫲🍕

To point or indicate direction

Since the hand angles left, it works as a subtle arrow. In a social post, it can direct readers to a photo, a link, or a caption positioned on the left, although this depends on how your layout is arranged.

• Check the screenshot on the left 🫲

To invite or welcome

An open hand is a classic welcoming sign. Add it to an invitation to say "come on in" or "join us" with a warm, low-key tone.

What Does the Leftwards Hand Emoji Mean in Texting and on Social Media?

In texting and on social media, the Leftwards Hand emoji usually signals a friendly handover, a "your turn" moment, or a light directional cue rather than any fixed slang meaning.

Because the emoji is new, there is no single dominant slang meaning attached to it. People tend to use it intuitively. In a group chat, it can mean "I'm passing this to you" or "go ahead." Under a post, it can function like a small gesture of offering support or sharing credit.

Many people also use it with the Rightwards Hand to build a scene. Placing 🫲 on the left and 🫱 on the right makes the two hands look like they are about to meet, which people use to suggest a handshake, a deal, a collaboration, or a hand-off. That pairing is one of the most expressive uses of the emoji.

Here are a few realistic captions:

• New partnership announced 🫲🫱 so excited for this one
• Passing the mic to the next speaker 🫲

How Does the Leftwards Hand Emoji Look on Different Platforms?

The Leftwards Hand emoji appears on all major platforms that support Emoji 14.0, but each vendor draws the hand slightly differently in style, shading, and angle.

Support begins with the following software versions:

• Apple: iOS 15.4 and later, macOS 12.3 and later.
• Google: Android 12L and later.
• Microsoft: Windows 11 22H2 and later.
• Samsung: One UI 5.0 and later.
• WhatsApp: version 2.22 and later.
• Twitter (X): Twemoji 14.0 and later.

If a friend has an older phone, they may see a blank box where your emoji should be. When the meaning matters, it helps to add a few words of text so the message still makes sense on an unsupported device. The exact angle of the palm and the thumb position may vary between vendors, so the gesture can feel a little more "offering" on one platform and a little more "pointing" on another.

Which Emojis Pair Well With the Leftwards Hand?

The best partner for the Leftwards Hand emoji is the Rightwards Hand, and it also combines well with other open-hand gestures to shape tone.

• 🫲🫱 for handshakes, deals, hand-offs, and meeting in the middle.
• 🫲👋 for a welcome with a wave, similar to a friendly greeting. See the Waving Hand for the classic hello.
• 🫲✨ to present something special or exciting.
• 🫲🎁 to offer a gift or surprise.
• 🫲💡 to hand over an idea.

If you want to compare this emoji with other hand gestures, the Raised Back Of Hand, the Hand With Fingers Splayed, and the Vulcan Salute each convey a different feeling, from greeting to stop to fandom. You can browse the whole set in the People & Body category.

When Should You Avoid the Leftwards Hand Emoji?

Avoid the Leftwards Hand emoji when your reader may not have updated software, or when a pushing-away reading could come across as dismissive.

Because the gesture can read as either "here you go" or "go away," the surrounding words matter. If you are replying to someone upset or in a sensitive conversation, a gesture that could look like shooing them off may land badly. A clear sentence will almost always serve better.

Also think about the audience. In formal emails and professional documents, a text-only phrasing is safer, since emoji support varies by system and a missing glyph looks unpolished. In casual work chats where the team uses emojis freely, a well-placed 🫲 for "over to you" is generally fine.

Finally, remember that the direction is literal. If you are using it to point at something, make sure the item really is on the left in the reader's view, or the gesture will be confusing.

How Do You Copy and Paste the Leftwards Hand Emoji?

You can copy the Leftwards Hand emoji 🫲 with one click on this page and paste it into any message, post, or document.

Click the emoji button at the top of the page, and it is copied to your clipboard instantly. Then paste it wherever you need it, using Ctrl+V on Windows and Linux or Cmd+V on Mac, or by long-pressing in a text field on your phone. If you want to try a whole sentence, the Emoji Translator can turn plain text into emojis, and the trending emojis page shows what people are copying right now.

Once pasted, you can also change the skin tone in many apps by long-pressing the emoji on a mobile keyboard or using the emoji picker on desktop. If the emoji shows up as a box on the receiving end, the device likely needs a software update to display Emoji 14.0 characters.