Nose Emoji

The nose emoji 👃 means smell, sniffing, and anything to do with scent. People use it to point out a good aroma, a terrible stink, or a hunch ("I smell something off"). It can also be a playful nod to nosiness or to following your instincts, depending on the message around it.

What Does the Nose Emoji Mean?

The nose emoji 👃 represents the human nose and, by extension, the sense of smell.

Its literal meaning is simple: a nose, drawn in profile or front-on depending on the platform, usually with a skin-tone-friendly design. Because the nose is the body part tied to scent, the emoji became the standard way to say "I can smell that," "this smells amazing," or "something stinks."

Beyond the literal sense, it carries a few common figurative meanings:

• Good smells: fresh coffee, baking, perfume, flowers, a clean room.
• Bad smells: gym bags, spoiled food, a suspicious odor in the fridge.
• Intuition: having a "nose for" something, such as a nose for news or a nose for a bargain.
• Nosiness: poking your nose into other people's business, usually said with humor.

What Is the Unicode Information for the Nose Emoji?

The nose emoji uses the codepoint U+1F443 and its official Unicode name is NOSE.

It was added in Unicode 6.0 and is part of Emoji version 0.6, which means it has been around since the earliest wave of widely supported emoji. It sits in the People & Body category, alongside other body part emojis such as the ear emoji, the foot emoji, and the leg emoji. You can browse the full set on the People & Body emoji page.

The standard shortcode is :nose:, which is what many chat apps and developer tools accept when you type a colon followed by the name.

How Do You Use the Nose Emoji in Texting and on Social Media?

You use the nose emoji to react to a smell, describe a scent, or add a playful "I can sniff this out" tone to a message.

In everyday texting it works as a quick sensory reaction. Where a photo shows food, a candle, or a garden, the emoji says you wish you could smell it through the screen. In the other direction, it works as a joke about something unpleasant.

Positive scent examples

• Just opened a fresh jar of cinnamon 👃✨
• New perfume day. Who else loves a vanilla base? 👃
• The whole kitchen smells like garlic bread right now 👃🍞

Negative scent examples

• Whoever left fish in the office microwave, we need to talk 👃😷
• Opened my old gym bag. Regret. 👃

Notice how the surrounding words and extra emojis decide the tone. The nose alone is neutral, and the context makes it pleasant or foul.

What Does the Nose Emoji Mean for Intuition and Nosiness?

Used figuratively, the nose emoji suggests instinct, suspicion, or curiosity about other people's affairs.

English has many nose-based idioms, and the emoji borrows from them. Saying you have a nose for something means you are good at spotting it. Saying someone is nosy means they pry. Both ideas show up in casual chat.

• I can smell a bad deal from a mile away 👃
• Okay, I have a nose for good restaurants, trust me 👃🍽️
• Not trying to be nosy, but who was that? 👃👀

When pairing it with an eyes emoji, the message usually reads as gossip or curiosity rather than a literal smell.

How Does the Nose Emoji Look on Different Platforms?

The nose emoji appears on every major platform, but each vendor draws it in its own style.

According to the platform data for this emoji, it is supported on Apple (iOS 6.0+ and macOS 10.7+), Google (Android 4.3+), Microsoft (Windows 8.0+), Samsung (One UI 1.0+), Meta (WhatsApp 2.17+), and Twitter (Twemoji 1.0+). That covers essentially all current phones, computers, and messaging apps, so you can send it without worrying about a blank box on the other end.

Designs vary in detail. Some platforms show a close-up front view of a nose with nostrils, while others show a simplified side view. The core meaning stays the same, but a stylized version can look cuter or more cartoonish than a realistic one. If the exact look matters for a post or a graphic, preview it on the platform your audience uses.

Does the Nose Emoji Support Skin Tones?

Yes, the nose emoji supports skin tone modifiers, so you can match it to your own appearance or to the context of your message.

The default version is a neutral yellow tone on many platforms. By long-pressing the emoji on a phone keyboard, or using the skin tone picker on a desktop emoji panel, you can choose from the five Fitzpatrick-scale modifiers. Skin tone does not change the meaning, only the representation. Many people leave it on the default for generic sensory jokes and pick a specific tone when the nose is meant to represent a person.

Which Emojis Pair Well With the Nose Emoji?

The nose emoji pairs best with food, flower, and reaction emojis that clarify what you are smelling and how you feel about it.

Because the emoji is a sensory prompt, a second emoji usually finishes the thought. Here are some reliable combinations:

• 👃🌸 for floral scents, spring, and fragrance.
• 👃☕ for the first coffee of the day.
• 👃🤢 for a bad smell that turns your stomach.
• 👃👀 for nosiness or sniffing out gossip.

For a sense-based set, you can combine it with the ear emoji to talk about listening and smelling in the same message, such as a post about a bustling market. If you are building a longer message and want help turning words into emojis, the Emoji Translator can suggest options quickly.

When Should You Avoid the Nose Emoji?

Avoid the nose emoji in formal or sensitive messages where a smell joke could read as rude or personal.

Telling a colleague that something stinks, even with a smile, can land badly, especially if the target is a person rather than an object. Commenting on someone's scent can feel invasive. In professional chats, it is safest to use the emoji only for clearly pleasant, neutral things such as a candle or a bakery.

It also helps to remember that the emoji can be read in more than one way. A lone 👃 after a message could mean "this smells good," "this smells bad," or "I smell a lie." If the meaning matters, add a few words or a second emoji so no one has to guess.

How Do You Copy and Paste the Nose Emoji?

You can copy the nose emoji 👃 with one click on this page and paste it anywhere you can type text.

Click the copy button near the top of the page, switch to your app, and paste with Ctrl+V on Windows or Command+V on a Mac. On phones, long-press in a text field and tap Paste. The emoji will carry over into messages, captions, bios, documents, and email subject lines.

If you want to see what other emojis people are reaching for, check the trending emojis page. And if you like physical-body emojis, you can also try the flexed biceps emoji or the mechanical arm emoji for strength and tech-themed posts.