It’s essential to understand what ^^ means because you might see it everywhere—from your group chats with friends to social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
What does ^^ mean in chat?
Here Is What ^^ Means in Chat:
The ^^ symbol is a popular emoticon that you can use to express happiness or agreement with a previous message. You can also use it as a replacement for the western symbol 🙂 and it has its origins in Asia, where people often prefer an emphasis on smiling eyes rather than a smiling mouth.
While you can use it in many contexts, below, you’ll find six different explanations with real-life examples.
The Confusion Around the ^^ Symbol
The ^^ symbol is a confusing emoticon that often makes people wonder why it’s used and how to use it.
It’s not always easy to understand how you should use this symbol. If you see your friends using it, you might want to ask them if they’re happy, flirting, or being sarcastic—you could misinterpret it as a very different meaning than intended.
Most people think the meaning of the ^^ emoticon is similar to a smiley face or 🙂 and they’re not wrong: you could say that both symbols depict a smile.
But there are several more meanings for this one little character, so read on if you want to know more about how you can use ^^ in various contexts.
What Is the ^^ Sign Called?
What you might not know is that the ^ sign you see so often in the chat is called a “caret.”
The caret is not only used in chat rooms or texting.
You can find it in computer programming languages and regular conversations, but you can also use it as a shortcut for ctrl.
In some languages, people use it to mark vowels in their phonetic alphabet, or you’ll see them in math problems when you’re using different functions like exponential functions.
In a sense, you could say that two carets together is a double caret.
What Does ^ Mean in Chat?
First of all, it’s helpful to know what “^” means before we talk about doubling the symbol.
In chat or text message conversations, the symbol “^” often refers to the message immediately preceding it. It can indicate agreement with that message, serve as a way to draw attention to it, or be used as a shorthand to say “I’m referencing the above statement.”
Essentially, it means “look up” to the prior message for context.
6 Explanations of What ^^ Means in Chat
There are at least six explanations of what ^^ means in texting. Let’s go over each meaning and then look at some real-life examples.
1) ^^ Means a Smiley Face
The alternative to the Western symbol “:)” is a smiley face that you can type in chat by using the ^^.
Therefore you can use ^^ whenever you want to show that you’re happy or whenever you would normally use a smiley face.
It’s a good idea to ask your friends if they understand your meaning, as they might not be aware of this symbol.
You can always refer them to this article ^^.
2) ^^ Represents Two Joyful Eyes
You may see ^^ as an emoticon representing happiness or smiling.
In some Asian cultures, ^^ means a pair of smiling eyes instead of a smiling mouth because the eyes are considered more important in many parts of the world.
Body language experts would agree.
According to experts, you can tell a sincere smile from a fake smile by looking for little wrinkle lines (called “crows feet”) near the eyes.
People used the ^^ sign to express pleasant emotions like joy or bliss.
3) To Agree With a Comment By Another Person
You can also use ^^ to show your support for a post or a message sent directly before it.
For example, if you were only to send ^^, it would be interpreted as “same” or “I agree with what you said.”
Also, the number of up-arrows corresponds directly to enthusiasm.
When there are five or six carets, this usually implies that the sender is more in agreement than if the same person sent just one.
4) To Reply to Someone’s Post Just Above Your Post
If you send ^^ with a reply, it could mean that you are responding directly to the post above (or sent directly before) it.
You can use 1 up arrow ^, 2 up arrows ^^, or 5 up arrows ^^^^^.
When you reply to someone’s post right above yours, you type ^^ and then your comment. The person that you are responding to will likely know that you are replying to them.
5) To Refer to the Previous Comment or Chat Again
You can also use ^^ to refer back to a previous comment again.
It’s like saying, “Please pay attention to” or “on that same note.”
It means that the writer wants you to pay attention to an earlier message.
6) ^^ Shows That You’re Excited
^^ is a way for you to show that you are excited about something or you think that someone else’s opinion is awesome.
For example, Let’s say you go on the internet to chat with your friends.
If you wanted to say that you’re excited about having $100 in your bank account, you might say, “I just deposited $100 into my bank account! ^^.”
Here’s a quick 2-minute video of what ^^ means in a text message:
Real-life Examples of How to Use ^^
“I agree with you!^^”
Many people you chat with on Facebook or other social media sites also use this emoticon to show agreement.
While you might sometimes want to express you’re excited about what someone said, you can do this by saying, “I totally agree! ^^”, you could also type “I agree :).”
“I’m happy ^^”
A situation you’re in might make you feel quite happy.
If you want to tell someone about your good mood, you can use ^^.
“I’ll watch it now ^^”
This is another use of double carets.
When you’ve been waiting long enough for a video or other material to be uploaded, you can express with the symbols.
In effect, you’re saying, “I’ll watch it as soon as it becomes available ^^.”
“That’s true! ^^^^^^^^^”
When you see those ^^^^^^^^, it is more than evident that you’ve made a good point.
All those carets mean extreme agreement.
“I’m speechless! ^^^^”
If you think you can’t find words to express your feelings about what someone said, you can use the emoticon ^^^^.
This is quicker than typing out a full sentence.
“I can’t wait ^^”
When you’re excited about something you’re looking forward to, you can express your feelings by saying, “I can’t wait to see you ^^”
For example, when you’ve scheduled a date with someone new.
“Pay attention to ^^”
You might see an example of this use in a social media comment or a particularly good answer to a question online.
“Thank you! ^^”
If someone has done something nice for you, you might want to thank them.
If so, you can use ^^.
Note: You could also type “Thx,” which would have the same meaning.
“I think you’re right! ^^”
Sometimes you want to celebrate someone else’s opinion, and you genuinely agree with them.
Instead of just putting ^^, you may want to emphasize your connection with their post with words.
If you feel like you need a bit more excitement, you can express this by using three or more carets.
“I’m so excited ^^”
If you’re super excited, you can use ^^ to show your feelings.
“I’ve said that earlier! ^^”
The sense here is they’re trying to remind you that they spoke about the same topic earlier.
Usually, they want to point you to something said earlier in the same thread or message chain.
“Cool ^^”
When you come across something you like, you can use this symbol to show you think it’s cool.
For example, “Wow, that’s really cool ^^,” or, “I like it ^^.”
“Thank you for the gift! ^^”
When you’ve received a gift, you might want to say “thank you.”
You can add ^^ to your message of appreciation to add extra texture and tone.
“You’re so cute! ^^”
When someone is cute, you might want to tell them by using ^^ in a compliment.
You can also use ^^ to flirt with your crush.
“Good job! ^^”
If you’re happy about someone’s accomplishment, you can congratulate them with ^^.
You might find lots of reasons to use this symbol: a good grade on a test, a finished project, a successful performance, or a new job.
“Good luck! ^^”
When you want to tell someone good luck, you can use ^^.
You could also type “good luck!” but you might feel like you want to express your feelings with a bit more style. Therefore, you can add the “smiling eyes” of ^^ to your message.
Who Uses the ^^ Emoticon?
Users of ^^ emoticons are typically very familiar with the internet, teenagers, or young adults.
They use this symbol when writing shortcut responses to social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook. Some young people use these “retro” emojis to connect with their friends.
Older adults who grew up before the era of modern emojis might also use the symbol.
As I said before, Asian people from countries like China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and so on also use this type of emoticon.
In those countries, you can see them use ^^ emoticons very often as a way to express their feelings, in the form of smiling eyes.
When To Use ^^ in Chat?
Use these emoticons when chatting with your friends or family because they come across as more friendly and personal.
You can use ^^ in chat groups, in social media posts, in comments, and when texting the people you know.
Just remember to let everyone know what you mean, so there is no misinterpretation.
When Not To Use ^^?
It is not appropriate to use these smiling eyes emoticon anywhere official, like school, university, at your job, in business communication, or in formal documents.
It would be inappropriate because many people see emojis as unprofessional.
You should only use them in a lighthearted conversation with someone you know well.
You should not use these emoticons in any kind of professional communication because you could be misunderstood, which puts yourself and your job at risk.
How To Type the ^^ Symbol?
There are a few ways to type the ^^ symbol depending on which device you use.
On a US keyboard
On a US desktop or laptop computer, you type the ^^ symbol by holding down the shift button while pressing the “6” button on your keyboard.
Simply repeat this process twice to get double carets.
On an iPhone or Tablet
To type ^^ on an Apple smartphone or tablet, the process involves a few more steps.
Click on the numbers (123), then go to (#+=), and finally tap the ^ symbol twice.
That should do it.
On an Android Smartphone or Tablet
To create a caret on an Android smartphone or tablet is quite the same.
Open the keyboard, go into the numbers (123), then ({&=), and double-tap the ^ symbol.
Final Thoughts: What Does ^^ Mean in Chat?
To summarize, the idea of the smiling eyes ^^ is to express positive emotions like happiness, joyfulness, excitement, or cheerfulness.
It also shows agreement, support, and points to an earlier post or message.
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