Winking Face With Tongue

Core emoji in Gen Z's digital vocabulary — signals playful chaos, irony, and self-aware silliness. Used constantly across all platforms without much second thought.

Very popular in youth texting culture on WhatsApp and Instagram. Used to signal joking or teasing tone between friends, though can carry mild flirtatious meaning in DMs between people with romantic interest.

Generally read as playful and funny rather than flirtatious. Used freely among friends but slightly cautiously in mixed-gender contexts depending on the country and relationship.

Broadly understood across cultures as 'I am joking' or 'I am being playful' — one of the most universally legible emojis in terms of tone signaling.

Used heavily among urban youth on Facebook and WhatsApp to signal humor or lighthearted teasing. Less common in formal or family group chats.

Popular in youth digital communication, especially on WhatsApp. Often used to soften sarcastic remarks or signal a joke in group chats.

Less dominant compared to platform-native stickers on WeChat, but recognized as playful on platforms like Weibo. Sometimes replaced by more elaborate emoji sticker packs.

Used but competes heavily with the rich kaomoji (text-face) tradition. Recognized as playful but may seem less expressive or nuanced compared to Japanese emoticons like (≧∇≦).

Common among younger Koreans on KakaoTalk and Instagram. Signals playfulness and is often used in fan communities (fandoms) to express silly affection for idols.

Used similarly to other East Asian markets — signals goofiness and fun, especially in youth group chats and social media comments.

Blended Cantonese internet culture adopts it freely — often paired with Cantonese slang in captions to amplify the comedic tone.

Extremely popular and high-frequency — Filipinos are expressive emoji users and 😜 is regularly used to signal banter, jokes, and playful energy on Facebook and TikTok.

Widely used in casual Indonesian digital communication, especially among youth on TikTok and WhatsApp. Signals fun energy and is not considered inappropriate.

Common in Thai social media culture, especially on Facebook and Twitter (X). Signals humor and lightness, and pairs well with Thai internet culture's love of playful communication.

Used in youth digital spaces on Zalo and Facebook to signal jokes or teasing. Older users may be less familiar with its nuanced meaning.

Used across multicultural Malaysian digital spaces to signal humor — broadly understood regardless of ethnic background due to widespread meme culture.

Used among youth, particularly online and in private chats. More common among women in female-only spaces. In mixed-gender public interactions it's used carefully.

Cosmopolitan usage mirrors global trends due to the UAE's international population — used freely to signal humor and playfulness in digital communication.

Very common in Egyptian social media — Egyptians have a strong culture of humor and wit, and 😜 fits naturally into that tradition of playful teasing.

Popular in Turkish social media and messaging culture — used to signal jokes and banter, especially among younger users on Twitter/X and Instagram.

Used primarily among youth on Instagram and Telegram (major platforms in Iran). Signals humor and lightheartedness within the context of private digital communication.

High usage in Nigerian digital culture, especially on WhatsApp, Twitter/X, and TikTok. Nigerians are prolific emoji users and 😜 pairs well with their culture of witty humor and banter.

Used across South Africa's diverse youth culture — especially popular in WhatsApp group chats and Twitter/X to signal jokes or playful commentary.

Very common in British and Irish digital culture — fits well with the cultural tradition of dry wit, sarcasm, and self-deprecating humor. Often used to soften a biting remark.

Used in casual French digital communication, though French users also lean heavily on text-based irony. Signals lightheartedness in a culture that values wit over silliness.

Used among younger Germans to signal jokes, though German digital communication culture tends to be more direct. The emoji signals 'I am being playful, not serious.'

High usage in these expressive cultures — very naturally integrated into the warm, humorous, and socially expressive communication styles of Spanish and Italian users.

Brazilians are among the world's heaviest emoji users and 😜 is very popular — used to signal humor, banter, and playful energy across WhatsApp, TikTok, and Instagram.

Very common in Mexican digital culture alongside strong meme culture — used to signal jokes and playfulness, often in combination with other expressive emojis.

Broadly popular across Latin America where expressive and warm digital communication is the norm. Signals fun and playfulness universally across the region.

High usage — fits well with the Australian and Kiwi cultural value of not taking yourself too seriously. Common in casual banter, sports rivalry, and self-deprecating humor online.