Long ago, whenever attempting to flirt with another lady seemed kind of like a Sarah Waters book but without the ghosts and catastrophe, we communicated interest through packed symbols, like
offering violets to crushes
. Now, we emoji instead — for appending for the conclusion of brunch invitations, for addressing Tinder communications, for commenting regarding
instagram selfies of hot lesbians who live two thousand miles out
. How will you pick smartly? Imagine if a ? feels flirty for you but simply friendly towards crush? Will a ? fundamentally help you to ? or ???? To investigate, I inquired a tiny but enthusiastic sample measurements of Autostraddle staffers to weigh-in.


The traditional kissy-face-with-heart is a great very early attempt into flirting; it is attractive yet not intense. Those surveyed explained the ambiance as “casual” or “friendly” flirtation, but “maybe not overtly intimate.” Molly claims “this is certainly one of my preferences to flirt with because it’s nice, it offers the wink to state, ‘hey, it is cool, there is no force here!’ and a lil heart-kiss thing to also say, ‘hey, its cool, i love you, you’re fairly.'” KaeLyn confirms the low-pressure character for this emoji: “as an individual in a currently monogamous union, I really don’t feel just like I’m top somebody on with a kissy face. It is simply like, ‘Love ya, babe!'” However, as Casey explains, the woman mommy in addition utilizes it, thus. In case you are going for a very flirty ambiance, make sure the context causes it to be clear!

Really low throughout the flirty level, unless along with additional emojis in order to make their definition much more obvious. After all, this is additionally the face you make when examining an extremely great bowl of nachos. KaeLyn calls it a “universal emoji,” noting that “friends or beautiful buddies or crushes or my personal partner might all get this from me…in similar day even.”

An amount up from kissy face emoji! Molly likes to deliver that one “as a sign off to some one I’m excited to talk to again, like a “closed with a kiss” rather than a kiss.” For femmes and other lip stick aficionados, it is a natural fit for flirting; Vanessa notes that “I’m often sporting lipstick, therefore if i’m delivering nudes or a thirst trap i’ll followup using this to get like “look at my mouth.” It is hard to imagine a person’s mom giving this (or if they performed, you’d desire they had not), thus, absolutely that!

“that is like, you’re producing my heartbeat overcome quicker. I would answer a thirst trap or sext using this one.” – KaeLyn

This option was surprisingly debatable — while many ponder over it unremarkable and a “default,” We have usually experienced it to be the most Serious cardiovascular system emoji option, maybe comparable to a red-rose instead of a far more cool much less passionate daisy bouquet. Arriving during the opposite end from the spectrum, however, is actually Vanessa which “hates” the reddish cardiovascular system, musing that maybe she discovers it “basic.” It’s hard to assume messing up a conversation with a red cardiovascular system — it really is harmless needless to say! — but additionally, perhaps swing the fences.

General consensus usually non-red minds are for friendship, although Stef made the mystical assertion that blue and purple hearts are “more major.” You will find truly constantly decided the purple cardiovascular system ended up being ideal for delivering to queer buddies in queer relationships; see violets guide above. Special attention should be compensated on black center, which our very own respondents noted was actually “a kinky heart,” good if you are sexting somebody else into kink or simply generally speaking in case you are a Scorpio.

I will be honest: nobody is sure what this signifies. Best imagine might be “exclamation point with a cardiovascular system;” not completely positive exactly what emotion that will match with, however it does sound like a nice one. From KaeLyn, another take: “It could be blood. After all, i possibly could enter that.”

“This heart is filled with chocolate.” – Stef

This is a nice, nutritious emoji made to switch your own text message into a missive provided by turtledoves and wrapped in satin ribbon. Almost nothing people have ever used it, aside from Vanessa, just who relies on it “if i’m FLIRTING with somebody and wish to end up being precise we are FLIRTING.” In case you are wanting to flirt with Vanessa or somebody similar, you-know-what you should do.

This isn’t a really flirty center however it is really pretty for reciprocal love and would be extremely sweet if you as well as your crush had simply exchanged a flurry of compliments or thoughts for every single other. Like aw, same!!

Does this represent a walk of minds rising inside environment, in fact it is a lovely but eventually sorts of mystifying image, OR is it all of your own hearts close to one another or perhaps orbiting around both? The next understanding is far more endearing and tends to make this a tremendously adorable thing to send the crush!

Dislike this emoji. It’s rhetorically uncertain! Its allowed to be ‘growing,’ it is that effectively visually communicated? I do not trust it; try not to advise.

A foundational symbol; a symbol that goes, it seems, with the earliest echoes of individual memory space. On an exact level, that someone made the vision widen with interest; on a figurative level, perhaps you’re ~generating eyes~. KaeLyn’s a lot more lyrical interpretation would be that this can be for “when someone’s hotness is really so hot that you are sort of embarrassed for your self and WOW. I believe it’s method of chaste, as well, like AVERT THINE EYES.” Anyways, this means you might think some one is hot and want to find out together with them, and is also everything you reply to another person’s fantastic selfie with (although not very passionate enough as a response to a nude).

A striking and divisive choice. Our casual study participants found this choice “enthusiastic,” and perhaps “overly enthusiastic” — someone explained it as reminiscent of some body “just in a really sloppy destination the help of its really love and passion… overall lacking in refinement.” Actually those who are in support of the tongue emoji concur that its kepted for sexting, not flirting. It’s alot! It really is a gamble, is we’re saying, but perhaps you want to go on the advantage.

Forthrightness is actually an advantage, and that’s the gift of the liquid droplets emoji. As Carmen claims, “it literally works best for every little thing, and it’s never ever misconstrued.” It is very aggressive flirting — leaving these under someone’s selfie is a striking move! — but sometimes that’s the energy you need to deliver. Once you’re because neighbor hood the programs are near unlimited. As Vanessa says, “someone supplies you with a nude? Place some of those in (combined with copious all limits comments). You delivered a nude? Follow-up with one of these. Someone sexts you? Yes. You are thrilled for a date? Great. You want to say “we want to squirt homosexuell all-over the hot bod”? So weird, this FUNCTIONS TOO!”

Honorable Mentions:

“This means I REALLY WANT YOU BAD. usually in a sequence of 3 or more.” — Audrey

Have you ever observed somebody very hot it absolutely was an emergency?

Alaina talks of this as a “classic sexting emoji.” Will it indicate you are being bratty? Can it imply you are getting a hot, mean leading? Guess your own crush will find !


Please feel free to vociferously differ with your takes and protect your own texting behaviors! For additional credit, utilize
this terrifying emoji builder
to produce your own ideal and tell the category.



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