Emoji used as code
Some emoji carry hidden meanings in messages about drugs, sex or threats. Here are 20 of the best documented, with how they're used, and a reminder that most of the time they mean exactly what they show.
Context is everything. 🍁 is usually about autumn or Canada, ❄️ about snow and 🍆 about dinner. Look at combinations and the rest of the conversation before reading anything into a single emoji.
| Emoji | Coded meaning | How it's used | Kind | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ❄️ | cocaine ("snow") | Listed by the DEA for cocaine and in TikTok algospeak research; "Snow" and "Snowflake" are cocaine slang in the DEA's 2018 reference. Emojipedia notes it is used far more for cold weather and winter, so it needs drug context to mean anything. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, DEA slang guide |
| ⛄ | cocaine | Listed by the DEA for cocaine, and a UK police guide reported in 2022 also listed a snowman. Usually about winter, snow days and holidays. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, Quotidiano Nazionale |
| 🔑 | cocaine (a kilogram, "key") | Listed by the DEA for cocaine; the DEA's 2018 slang reference lists "llave" (Spanish for key) for one kilogram. Usually about keys, access, home or something important. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, DEA slang guide |
| 🐉 | heroin (also fentanyl) | Listed by the DEA for heroin; "Dragon" is listed as slang for both heroin and fentanyl in the DEA's 2018 reference. Common for fantasy, games, Lunar New Year and the zodiac. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, DEA slang guide |
| 💊 | pills sold illegally: counterfeit Percocet/oxycodone, Xanax or Adderall, or MDMA | The DEA lists 💊 under Percocet and oxycodone, Xanax, Adderall and MDMA, and warns that fake prescription pills sold on social media are commonly laced with fentanyl or methamphetamine. Most uses are about medicine, vitamins and health, so look for it alongside dealer signals such as 🔌, prices or quantities. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, UC Davis |
| 🅿️ | Percocet ("percs") | Listed by the DEA for Percocet and oxycodone; "Percs" is Percocet slang in the DEA's 2018 reference. Usually means parking or simply the letter P. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, DEA slang guide |
| 🍫 | Xanax (alprazolam) "bars" | Listed by the DEA for Xanax, whose tablets are called "Bars" in the DEA's 2018 slang reference. Usually just chocolate or snacks. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, DEA slang guide |
| 🔵 | counterfeit oxycodone/Percocet pills ("blues") | Listed by the DEA for Percocet and oxycodone, and the DEA's 2018 slang reference lists "Blues" for both oxycodone and fentanyl. Blue circles are otherwise everyday color, team and status markers. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, DEA slang guide |
| 🍬 | MDMA ("candy") | Listed by the DEA for MDMA; "Candy" is slang for MDMA and for cocaine in the DEA's 2018 reference. Usually about sweets, Halloween and treats. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, DEA slang guide |
| 🍄 | psilocybin ("magic") mushrooms | Listed by the DEA for mushrooms. Common for cooking, foraging, nature, fantasy and video games. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide |
| 🍇 | cough syrup misused as a drug ("lean", "purple drank") | Listed by the DEA for cough syrup; "Lean", "Purple Drank" and "Sizzurp" are promethazine slang in the DEA's 2018 reference. Usually about fruit, wine or the color purple. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, DEA slang guide |
| 🍁 | drugs in general (often cannabis) | The DEA lists 🍁 as "universal for drugs"; Emojipedia notes its cannabis use is more stylistic than secretive and its use for other drugs is limited. Its main uses are autumn, nature and Canada. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, Emojipedia |
| 🔌 | drug dealer or supplier ("plug") | Listed by the DEA in dealer advertising; "Plug" is listed as slang for a drug source of supply in the DEA's 2018 reference. Also used literally for chargers, power and electricity. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, DEA slang guide |
| 💰 | drug dealer advertising (money) | Listed by the DEA among emoji used in dealer advertising. Commonly used for money, saving, prices and business. | Drugs | DEA emoji guide |
| 🔥 | marijuana; also drug purity | Listed by the DEA for marijuana ("Fire" is slang for marijuana, meth and fentanyl in the DEA's 2018 reference) and used in a UK police guide's drug-purity scale. It is one of the most common emoji for "great", "hot" or "trending". | Drugs | DEA emoji guide, DEA slang guide |
| 🍆 | sexual innuendo: penis | The best-established sexual emoji: Instagram blocked the 🍆 hashtag for a time in 2015, studies list it among the most-used emoji in sexts, and Facebook and Instagram said in 2019 they remove it when paired with requests for sex or nude images. Food uses exist but are less common than the innuendo. | Sexual | CBS News, UBC |
| 🍑 | sexual innuendo: buttocks | Widely used for buttocks in flirting, sexting and fitness posts; Emojipedia reported that in 2016 only about 7% of uses referred to the fruit. Treat it as sexual only alongside other sexual signals such as 🍆 or 💦. | Sexual | CBS News, HuffPost |
| 💦 | sexual innuendo: ejaculation or arousal | Researchers found it among the most common emoji in sexually suggestive messages, and TikTok algospeak research lists it for ejaculation. Very often it just means sweat, water, rain or hard work. | Sexual | UBC, HuffPost |
| 🌽 | pornography ("corn" for "porn") | Documented TikTok algospeak: 🌽 replaces "porn" to slip past filters, and 🌽⭐ means "pornstar". Usually just corn, food and harvest. | Sexual | Research |
| 🔫 | gun; threat of shooting | Used in posts that led to criminal charges, such as a 2015 Virginia school-threat case (🔫, 🔪 and 💣 with "meet me in the library") and a 2015 New York case with guns pointed at a police-officer emoji; courts weigh context and intent. Since 2016-2018 most platforms draw it as a toy water pistol, and joking use is common. | Threats | TIME, The Conversation |
For apps and safety teams
The full list has 76 documented coded uses across drugs, sexual content, threats and hate symbols. Each comes with its severity, how often the emoji is innocent, common combinations and its published sources, as JSON, updated monthly. It's built for parental-control apps and trust & safety teams.
The coded-emoji data
$49 a month, or $490 a year
The full list as JSON with its sources, and every monthly update. We email the files the day you subscribe.
Subscribe monthly, coming soonSubscribe yearly, coming soon
API and custom feeds
By quote
An API on your platform's terms, other languages, or a feed shaped to your moderation tools.
Email usSources include the DEA's "Emoji Drug Code: Decoded" guide, published research and major news reporting. Entries are reviewed against their sources; nothing here is a substitute for talking with the person.