🤝 is two hands joined in a handshake. It entered Unicode in the mid-2010s and is used more for “we have an agreement” than as a plain hello. It has a formal flavor without being stiff, which makes it good for partnership news, making up after an argument or welcoming someone new. Later updates let the two hands carry different skin tones, so the emoji could finally show two different people shaking hands.
How it’s used
- Deals: “Contract signed this morning 🤝”
- Partnerships: “We’re teaming up with a new studio 🤝”
- Making up: “Sorry about yesterday, we good? 🤝”
- Welcome: “Glad to have you on the team 🤝”
- Trades: in a marketplace chat, “Fine, I’ll take it at that price 🤝”
🙏 (folded hands) asks or thanks, while 🤝 is two equals agreeing. 🤜🤛 (fist bump) is friendlier and more casual, and 👋 (waving hand) is a hello or goodbye.
Korea, Japan and the English-speaking world
In English the signature meaning is “deal.” It turns up in business announcements, LinkedIn partnership posts, good sportsmanship after a match and a truce after a disagreement. A “handshake deal” is an agreement made by word, without paperwork. The option to give each hand a different skin tone is often read as a symbol of cooperation between different people.
In Korea, business handshake etiquette is well known: the more senior person offers a hand first and the junior supports it with the other hand. The emoji is common with contract news, investment announcements and company partnerships, and in secondhand-marketplace chats it can mean “deal confirmed.” Fans of idols tend to think of fan-signing events more than handshake events.
In Japan, bowing is the default greeting, so handshakes belong to somewhat formal moments, and 🤝 shows up in business tie-ups, partnership announcements and introductions. For idol fans, though, 握手会 (handshake events, a staple of groups like AKB48) is a familiar thing, and the emoji can call that to mind. The Japanese name is simply 握手.
Where it gets misread
- Unlike 🙏, it is not a request. Using it to ask for a favor can sound as if the matter is already settled, which may feel pushy.
- Sending it back and forth can look like a contract formed. Put important promises in writing.
- Since the pandemic, some people avoid handshakes, so using it to suggest an actual handshake can feel off.
- It is more formal than 🤜🤛, so sending it to a close friend may sound a bit businesslike.
Design differences by platform
The composition is shared, with two hands meeting in the middle, but sleeve treatment, hand angle and which hand sits on top vary slightly. Apple’s and Google’s Noto hands are fairly simple, while Microsoft’s Fluent adds a lot of depth. Samsung’s outlines look a touch thicker. The ability to choose a separate skin tone for each hand may be shown differently by platform, so on some devices the mix can appear as a single color.
