U+1F914 · emoji since 2015
The thinking face, chin in hand, is the look of weighing something up. It can be sincere, like actually mulling over a plan, or theatrical, like publicly doubting a friend's terrible take.
That second use is where it shines: a lone 🤔 under a suspicious claim says everything without typing a word. It's curiosity and side eye in one.
In texting, 🤔 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 🤔 is not really one of them.
Its official Unicode name is the Thinking Face emoji. In everyday chat most people just call it the thinking face emoji or describe what it shows. Copy and paste it from the button at the top of this page.
The 🤔 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.