U+0033 U+20E3 · emoji since 2010
The keycap three is the number 3 on a button. It means third place, trios, hat tricks, and counting to three before the big reveal.
It lists steps, ranks bronze finishes, and marks the charm of the third try.
In texting, 3️⃣ does not carry a widely used hidden or slang meaning, so you can usually take it at face value. People send it just as it looks, to add a little visual touch or set the mood of a message. Only a handful of emoji have a separate texting code, and 3️⃣ is not really one of them.
Its official Unicode name is the Keycap 3 emoji. In everyday chat most people just call it the keycap 3 emoji or describe what it shows. Copy and paste it from the button at the top of this page.
The 3️⃣ leads off a short phrase, and the rest of the words are written in cipher, every letter disguised as another emoji. Tap decipher to reveal the whole line.
Or make your own cipher in the translator.