Look, can be stressful, especially when you’re doing it via text. When you don’t have any IRL social cues to go off of, you kinda have to tread carefully sometimes lest you risk coming on too strong, ya know? But because we are proponents of hitting send on that risky text (unless it’s ), allow us to clue you in on a secret little weapon that can help you strike the perfect balance between “hi, yes, I am interested in you” and “ .” Say hello to the flirty emoji.
A well-placed flirty emoji can do wonders for your game. It can turn up the heat on an otherwise innocent message, soften the impact of a potentially too , or generally leave your crush guessing (and asking the group chat) what exactly your means. And that, friends, is right where you want ’em.
Of course, knowing which emoji to use (and when) is key. While you’re likely familiar with the classic cast of flirty emojis, the wink really only goes so far these days. Fortunately, there is a wide range of other emojis out there that can and should claim their place in your flirtatious exchanges.
From to to, frankly, weird ones (our personal fave), we’ve put together this comprehensive list of 35 flirty emojis you have at your literal fingertips. But first! A little guide to using them right, according to experts. 5 Tips for Flirting With Emojis, According to Experts Not to sound like a poster on the wall of your elementary school classroom, but it remains sound advice, okay? “Authenticity is hot, and it’s also crucial for starting to build a connection,” Kahn says.
While many of us may feel that our texting personality is a little different than we are irl, you still wanna sound like yourself. If a text feels inauthentic, don’t send it. And that goes for emojis too! If the idea of sending a winky emoji makes you cringe to your core, don’t use one! As noted, there are literally so many other flirty emojis out there that may be more your style.
Before you start flirting with emojis, do a little audience research. This means getting a sense of your person’s general texting vibe, yes. But if you’re going to turn the heat up a notch by flirting with more ~suggestive~ emojis, it goes a little deeper.
In the healthiest and most direct sense, this means asking your crush or partner about how they identify and what turns them on. “Generally, you do want to cater to your audience with what emojis you choose to use. This means being aware of emojis that represent body parts and how you/your partner may or may not identify with them,” says , a therapist at the in New York.
It’s also key to get a sound sense of your person’s overall vibe. Read their cues! “Find out more information about the person you're flirting with so you can learn about their likes and tailor what you're saying to them specifically,” suggests . “Flirting isn't one size fits all.
What one person finds cute, another might find completely cringe.” While we always advise getting consent before sexting, this may not be required for a little emoji flirting. The right use of emojis and texts can be a great way to gauge interest.
However, if you have any doubt that this person is uninterested or would be creeped out, just ask them! “What you don’t want is to come on too strong with them,” Lee says. “Less means more and leaves more room for the imagination.” When it comes to emoji flirting, as with everything, it’s better to start low and go slow.
“One of the worst things we can do at the beginning of a relationship is to come on too strong when a green light hasn’t been given,” says sex therapist . “There’s nothing better than sexy or flirty banter, but to do it well takes a degree of attunement.” When done delicately, flirting builds anticipation.
“The essence of flirting is imagination and tension building. Flirting is meant to inspire the other person, to make them feel wanted and highly desired,” Richmond says. If the text conversation feels like a one-way street, honestly, find someone else to flirt with.
But if it’s going really well, use their texts and emojis to inspire yours. “Be playful and creative, match the tone of the conversation, and use emojis to express affection and humor,” says sex therapist . Think of the conversation as a tennis game.
Don’t just slam balls in their direction, but volley the ball (or, in this case, emoji) back at them in a way that shows you like their last text. Remember that you’re not running for political office or trying to get your bank to give you a loan. While the stakes can feel high, especially in new relationships, it’s literally just flirting.
The absolute worst thing that can happen is that they don’t respond. Flirting is supposed to be fun! Got it? You go it. Now go forth and peruse this expertly crafted list of 35 flirty emojis.
1. The iconic wink 😉 You can’t go wrong with a classic winky face emoji. Whether you’re testing the waters or moving forward with full flirty force, sprinkling a winky emoji here and there is guaranteed to signal to your crush that you’re flirting .
Plus, the winky face emoji has the special ability to turn any conversation into a playful repartee. For example, regular sentences like, “What are you doing?”, “I’m going to bed,” and “Can’t wait to see you” are instantly transformed into some serious flirting once this emoji is plopped in. 2.
Okay, the heart eyes may border on the side of being slightly too much/too played out, but no one is really using this emoji with full sincerity, you know? This lovestruck little guy always feels a little tongue-in-cheek, which makes it a perfect option for conveying, “Omg you’re so hot and I’ve got such a crush on you,” without actually it. 3. Ghost 👻 While this spooky guy obviously has his time to shine around Halloween, it’s really an emoji for all seasons.
And, used correctly, he definitely has a flirty side. He’s got his wink on, tongue is a-waggle—think of him as a more playful, slightly more mysterious wink emoji option. 4.
Fluttery hearts smiley 🥰 I mean, this baby is just pure cuteness. If you wanna let your crush know that they’re literally just the cutest damn thing and you simply adore them within an inch of your life, this is your guy. 5.
The eyes 👀 It’s true: Your eyes really say so much. I like to use the eyes emoji when I’m feeling bold and, most often, when I’m swiping up on someone’s thirst trap Instagram selfie. No one knows what the emoji means, but there’s underlying sexual energy to it and I’m here for it.
6. The purple, devil-y smiley face 😈 Nothing says “I’m flirting with you” more than a little bit of this mischievous thing. Even if you’re not saying anything outwardly sexual, tacking on one of these bad boys is sure to send the message that you’re in a mood.
And if your crush wasn’t thinking of you like before, they definitely will now. This one is lower stakes than your classic kissy face with the heart (😘). She’s casual, she’s cool.
She’s giving you a peck on the cheek goodbye before she heads off to go do hot girl shit you know nothing about. In other words, this is exactly the vibe you wanna be sending if you’re creeping towards verified kiss emoji status with someone, but aren’t ready to take the leap into full-on heart-kissy territory, you know? You know. 8.
The pleading, I'm-begging-for-you emoji 🥺 If you’ve stumbled upon the “I’m baby” memes, you know that playing innocent can be a subtle but effective way of flirting. The pleading face emoji is a favorite of mine because it can be added to any sentence and have the same effect. Your co-texter will look at you (/their phone screen) like you’re the most adorable thing to walk the planet (which you are, of course).
9. The smirk 😏 While the smiling face with horns emoji sends the message that you’re bad, the smirking face emoji is the way to go if you’re trying to see how mischievous the other person is. I like to use this emoji whenever there’s a feeling of friendly competition involved or when I’m daring someone to do something.
Just be prepared for the flirting to heat up a bit after hitting send. This baby adds a little ~mystique~ to literally anything you want to say. These stars don’t mean anything in particular, but they add a little sparkle—a little “Who Is SHE?” to an otherwise run-of-the-mill convo.
If you wanna bring some that will keep them guessing, slap one of these on the end of your next message—literally any message at all. 11. The wink and tongue combo 😜 We’ve talked about the winky face emoji, but the winking face tongue? That’s a whole other level.
Part of the art of flirting is figuring out when to be a little discreet and when to be a little louder. And while the winky face is a sure-fire way to let someone know you’re flirting, adding a tongue can bring an extra layer of a fun and sexiness to your texting. 12.
This other tongue guy 😛 This is the official emoji, which I just decided right now. Unlike his winkier cousin (see above), he has no motive nor agenda, he’s literally just happy to be here—so thrilled to see you that his tongue is simply wagging. Send this one when you want a cuter, less aggressive version of the winky tongue emoji.
13. The sorta subtle, but totally flirty hug 🤗 Sometimes the best way to flirt is to be subtle about it. Sure, winky faces and tongue emojis are great, but when you want to test your skills as a flirter, use the hugging smiley face to get your point across.
Smileys can definitely be used in a strictly platonic fashion, but when you use them in sentences that can be taken as flirty, there’s an added sense of excitement as your crush tries to decipher if you’re trying to really flirt or not. We love to see it. Okay, so you’re probably thinking: “What’s so flirty about the sun?” And you’re right—the answer is literally nothing.
But when you’re in the early stages of a flirtationship and have just started exchanging , the sun emoji is your new BFF. If you don’t want to seem *too* invested but you want to add a little something to your morning greeting without going overboard, Mr. Sunshine is where it’s at.
See: Everything I just said about the sun emoji and good morning texts, but make it the moon emoji and . 16. The peach booty 🍑 Whether you’re talking about your own booty or your crush’s, the peach emoji is a playful way to bring up bodies and sex without being creepy.
It will essentially take your flirting to the next level. Just remember to assess whether it seems appropriate to take things to that level, of course. Nothing kills a good flirting spree faster than springing sexual convo when it isn’t welcome.
17. The girth-y eggplant 🍆 This is a great emoji to use when your flirting is starting to veer into the sexual side. Who knew vegetables could be so hot? She’s sassy! That’s her whole deal! (Technically, according to Apple, she is actually the Information Desk Woman emoji, but literally no one uses her like that, so, IDK, seems irrelevant.
) If you wanna inject a little playfully bratty energy into your next text to your crush (which we thoroughly encourage), this gal will send the right message. This love letter is cute. This love letter is tragically underrated.
More people should be using this love letter emoji, and what better place than in a flirty text to your crush? It’s obscure enough that they’ll be like, “Wait, what?” But cute enough that they’ll get the picture. 20. The l In the genre of kissy emojis, this lipstick mark kiss has got to be one of the most tragically underused.
It’s giving glamorous, Marilyn Monroe vibes—the implication of a kiss without actually sending a true kiss emoji. This emoji brings the drama, the mystique, the sexiness with a touch of hard-to-get charm. In other words: 10/10 flirty emoji, no notes.
This not-quite-literally-but-kinda-literally translates to: “I’m smitten with you.” Which..
.might sound like a lot! BUT! It’s underused enough that it doesn’t like Too Much, you know? It feels fun and playful and sweet, which is what flirting is all about, baby. We love her.
This emoji is all, “What? Who, me?” *Bats eyelashes.* Of the , this one is arguably the safest. Like, if you wanna drop a low-stakes heart to a crush, this is the one—the starter heart, if you will.
They’ll get the picture, yes, but it doesn’t carry the same weight/risk as some of the more objectively romantic emoji heart options. Sending someone your zodiac emoji (or theirs) suggests one of two things: You want them to know and understand you on a deep, cosmic level, and/or you have already plugged your birthdays into an calculator and may or may not be reading their horoscope on the daily to see if today is the day they’ll finally realize they’re actually in love with you. Need I say more? 25.
The emoji 🥵 A big part of flirting is hyping up the person you’re talking to. And while compliments like “beautiful,” “handsome,” and “sexy” can go a long way, so can certain emojis—especially this one. The hot face emoji can be used for a couple of different things—one being a warning to your friends that it's a scorcher outside.
But it can also be used to let your crush know how hot you think they are. 26. The shower 🚿 “My favorite unknown flirty emoji is the shower emoji,” Lee says.
“It’s the perfect way to indicate that things are getting spicy enough that you need to cool off or that things have reached dirtier territory.” The shower emoji is the perfect, low-key way to respond to a super hot message. 27.
The upside-down smiley face 🙃 The upside-down smiley face is all, “Who, me?” It’s a great way to accent a text to acknowledge that you’re being silly, or to add a flirty spin to an otherwise serious conversation. Stick that guy on the end of a text that says, “I don’t have plans Friday,” and suddenly your regrettably wide-open weekend just turned into a not-so-subtle hint that you’d absolutely love your crush to ask you out. 28.
The droplets 💦 The water droplets emoji is delightfully dirty, so tread carefully here. Basically, you’re only gonna wanna break this one out after status has been confirmed and you’re ready to upgrade from flirty emojis to the fine art of . 29.
This exploding head 🤯 Another great option to send in response to a super hot sext. It’s all, “my pretty little head has literally exploded from how hot you look without your shirt on.” Less aggressively horny than the droplets, it’s perfect to send if you’re into someone, but not quite ready for them to know that you’re wet over it.
30. The cat heart eyes 😻 Not only does the cat heart eyes offer a cute, slightly witch alternative to the regular heart eyes, but the choice of a kitty over a regular face subliminally suggests pussy. Which, well, enough said.
31. The skull 💀 The skull emoji offers a goth alternative to the exploding head emoji. It’s all, I am deceased over what you just sent me and I also look smoking in black lingerie.
32. The dead eyes 😵 Think of the dead eyes as a cuter version of the skull emoji. Also, it kinda looks like it’s giving head.
So, do with that info what you will. 33. The lip-bite 👄 The lips emoji is a sexy elevation of the kissy face.
She’s slightly opening her lips and giving brat, but in a “I have five thousand other things to do, so this better be good,” sort of way. 34. The rose 🌹 The rose emoji is a classy option and is the textual version of giving them flowers or, even better, suggesting that they should bring you flowers.
It doesn't come on too strong, but adding the rose to an otherwise normal text adds an element of romance and intrigue. 35. The mermaid 🧜♀️ Adding the mermaid to your flirty texts reminds the lucky person on the other end of said texts that you are a magical and ethereal creature.
They should be taking you on vacations to tropical paradises! Your hair is perfection! And they’re lucky even to be talking to you. Slay. Kayla Kibbe (she/her) is the Associate Sex and Relationships Editor at Cosmopolitan US, where she covers all things sex, love, dating and relationships.
She lives in Astoria, Queens and probably won’t stop talking about how great it is if you bring it up. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram..
