What Does the 🤟 (I Love You Emoji) Mean? Plus, How To Use It

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Uncover the meaning of this lovely gesture

Co-authored by John Keegan and Ali Garbacz, B.A.

Last Updated: August 6, 2024 Fact Checked

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Meaning

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When to Use

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How to Respond

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Other Emojis That Say “I Love You”

Someone just texted you the 🤟 (love you gesture) emoji, but you have absolutely no idea how to interpret this odd sign. We’re here to explain exactly what this unique emoji means, how to use it, and how to respond when someone sends it to you. And be sure to read until the end to learn about even more emojis you can use to tell someone you love them.

Things You Should Know

The 🤟 (love you gesture) emoji is the sign for “I love you” in American Sign Language.
Use 🤟 to tell your loved ones how much you appreciate them or when sending them an encouraging message.
Other emojis that express love include the ❤️ (heart) emoji, the 😍 (heart eyes) emoji, and the 🫶 (heart hands) emoji.

Section 1 of 4:

What does the 🤟 (love you gesture) emoji mean?

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🤟 (love you gesture) is American Sign Language for “I love you.” People who use American Sign Language (ASL) say “I love you” by raising their thumb, index finger, and pinky finger and keeping their middle and ring fingers folded. This gesture was translated into emoji form and still carries the same lovely meaning.^{[1]
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Research source}
- It can be easy to get 🤟 mixed up with 🤘 (sign of the horns). However, 🤘 typically means “You rock” or “You’re awesome” instead of “I love you.”^{[2]
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  Research source}

Section 2 of 4:

How to Use the 🤟 (Love You Gesture) Emoji

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1
Send 🤟 to your significant other to show them your love. 🤟 is the perfect emoji to use to let your partner know that you’re crazy about them and love them to pieces. A picture is worth a thousand words, and the 🤟 emoji can certainly convey all your lovely thoughts and feelings in just a single message.
- “Have I told you that I love you today? 🤟”
- “🤟 Can’t wait to see you when I get home today ❤️”
- “🤟❤️😘💌 Love you!”
2
Text 🤟 to your best friend to let them know you cherish them. The 🤟 isn’t just reserved for romantic partners. If you want to tell your best friend how much you love and appreciate them, 🤟 is the perfect way to get your message across. If you want to compliment them or just thank them for being the world’s best friend, why not embellish it with 🤟 to really show them how you feel?
- “I honestly don’t know where I’d be without you as a friend 🤟”
- “You’re my best friend and I hope you know I love you so much 🤟💛”
- “Hey bestie 🤟 Just wanted to say I love you!! 😘”
3
Send 🤟 when you miss someone close to you. If you’re missing your partner, friend, or family member when they’re away, don’t be afraid to drop 🤟 in a message to them to let them know that you’re thinking of them. They’ll appreciate the sweet reminder that you love them dearly and likely can’t wait to see them soon.
- “Missing you so much 😭 But I’m so excited to see you in a few days 🤟🥰”
- “🤟❤️ I miss you like crazy.”
- “We need to hang out soon! It’s been way too long 😘🤟”
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Add 🤟 to express your gratitude to someone. When a friend or someone close to you does you a favor or helps you out, send them 🤟 along with a thankful message. Or, if you just want to thank your loved ones for being so awesome and lighting up your life, 🤟 will also make a great addition to your message.
- “Thanks so much for helping me with my project. You’re literally the best 🤟😘”
- “Thank you so much for helping me yesterday 🤟😭 Love you!”
- “Just letting you know that I’m so thankful to have you in my life and love you so much 🤟❤️”
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Use 🤟 to express your approval of something. Along with romantic or platonic love, you can also use 🤟 to express how much you like an object or idea. For example, if you’re totally in love with the idea of going on a trip with your friends, send them 🤟 to express your enthusiasm. Or, if you see something you really want to buy, send your family a picture along with 🤟 to let them know how much you like it.
- “A trip to Hawaii? I’m so on board 🤟”
- “I’m in love with these boots 🤟😍 If anyone needs ideas for birthday gifts for me 👀”
- “Did you see their latest Instagram post? They look so good 🤟🤤”
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Include 🤟 to send encouragement and support. When your friend, family member, or significant other is feeling a bit stressed or overwhelmed, add 🤟 to a supportive and loving message. Be sure to also include lots of other lovely emojis so they know that you’re cheering them on even if you can’t be physically next to them at the moment.
- “You’ve got this!!! 🤟❤️😤”
- “I believe in you. You’re absolutely going to nail your presentation 🤟😁”
- “Let me know if I can help in any way 💜 You’re doing amazing and I love you! 🤟”

Section 3 of 4:

Responding to the 🤟 (Love You Gesture) Emoji

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Tell them you love them too. Whether your significant other, friend, or family member sends you 🤟, be sure to reply by telling them how much you love and cherish them as well. Include 🤟 in your own text message or other lovely emojis, such as hearts.
- “I love you too 🤟❤️ Thanks for texting me!”
- “Omg that’s so kind of you to say 😭 I hope you know that I love you too! 😘”
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Let them know that you’re missing them just as much. When someone messages you telling you that they miss you terribly, don’t be afraid to let them know that you’re mourning their absence just as much (if not more). Make them feel better by scheduling to meet up with them as soon as possible so you both have something to look forward to!
- “I miss you too 😢 But don’t worry! I’ll be back before you know it!”
- “I miss you like crazy. We definitely need to grab lunch the second I come back.”
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Thank them for their gratitude or support. If someone is sending you a message expressing how thankful they are to you or cheering you on during a tough time, be sure to thank them and return the sentiment. Let them know that you’ll always be there for them as well if they ever need you.
- “Aw that’s so sweet of you to say 😊 I appreciate and love you too 💛”
- “Thank you for saying that 😭 And I hope you know that I’ll always be here to cheer you on too!”
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Share in their excitement over something they like. If someone sends you 🤟 as a way to tell you that they really like an object or idea, don’t be afraid to respond just as enthusiastically. Hype them up and gush over whatever it is that caught their eye—they’ll appreciate your energy!
- “Omg those are SO cute 😍 I might have to buy them for myself haha.”
- “I’m also so down to take a trip together! That sounds so fun!! 😆”

Section 4 of 4:

Other Emojis That Say “I Love You”

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The ❤️ (heart) emoji A heart is essentially the universal sign of love, so you can’t go wrong in telling someone you love them by sending them one of the many colorful heart emojis.^{[3]
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Research source} One interesting thing to know is that each different heart emoji has a unique meaning and can express different kinds of love. For example:
- Red ❤️ represents true romantic love.
  - “You’re the best boyfriend I could ask for. I love you so much ❤️”
- Yellow 💛 symbolizes love for friends.
  - “Thanks for being my best friend in the entire world 💛”
- White 🤍 is used to represent pure love, such as between you and your parents.
  - “Love you so much Mom and Dad! 🤍”
- Purple 💜 shows compassion and care.
  - “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. I love you! 💜”
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The 😍 (heart eyes) emoji Use the 😍 emoji to show that you’re in love with someone or something. It’s a great way to say “I love you” to the people close to you, but it’s also a way to show that you really like something or an idea.
- “You’re the only one I have eyes for 😍”
- “Did you see this picture of their cat? I’m in love 😍”
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The 😘 (blowing a kiss) emoji Nothing says “I love you” more than sending someone a digital kiss. Use the 😘 emoji for all of your loved ones; your significant other, your friends, and your family. Even if you can’t tell them in person how much you love them, 😘 will get your message across just fine.
- “Have a good night! Love you 😘😘”
- “😘 I hope you know how much I love and appreciate you!”
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The 🫶 (heart hands) emoji If you’re looking for another fun hand gesture to tell someone you love them, why not send the 🫶 emoji? Use this unique emoji to let someone know how much you cherish and appreciate them, or send it along with an encouraging message to show your support.
- “You’re absolutely amazing! What would I do without you? 🫶”
- “🫶 You’re going to do so well today! I believe in you!”
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The 🫰 (hand heart) emoji Who knew there were so many hand gestures you could use to say “I love you”? The 🫰 emoji creates a small heart by crossing its thumb and index finger, and it’s the perfect thing to add to your text to a loved one.
- “Love you so much! 🫰 Let’s catch up soon!”
- “You’re the best!! 🫰 Can’t imagine my life without you!”

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