Face Holding Back Tears

They're moved — close to tears, not actually crying. Think happy tears with the smile still on: a teary reaction to a compliment, a favor, good news, or something unbearably cute. After a painful story the same face reads as sadness or sympathy being held in, so look at what it answers.

Some younger users, Gen Z in particular, also send it to poke fun at over-the-top sentimentality, while older relatives tend to mean it straight. A quick 🥹 under a soppy caption between friends can be affectionate teasing; read the thread before melting.

Did this face exist before Unicode?

Yes — an earlier version appeared on Samsung devices. The 2019 Unicode proposal says so, adding that it was redrawn for consistency across platforms. The proposal pitched 🥹 for the tension just before tears fall, when a strong feeling is being held back, with pride, fear, sadness and anger as examples.

The proposal's review points to manga, Japanese comics, where watery bubbles at the corners of the eyes signal a character about to cry. That is a close visual parallel, not one traced source drawing.

Why does 🥹 look different on different phones?

Each platform draws it its own way. As of 2026, Samsung and Huawei give it a wider grin, Honor and Facebook a wavering mouth, and Huawei adds hands at the cheeks. A wobbly mouth feels more fragile; a grin feels more delighted.