Figure out which smiley was used.
Each smiley face has a different texting implication. With such a vast emoji library at your fingertips, you can interpret a person’s smiley face text based on which one they used. Not every person uses a particular emoji for the same reason, but there are some general guidelines you can use to make the texting process a little easier! The slightly smiling face (????) is generally friendly, but more neutral than the others. However, it can also be used in a passive-aggressive context, as if to say “that’s fine,” when a person really isn’t happy with something. The grinning face smiley (????) is used to communicate general happiness and good cheer. The grinning and squinting smiley (????) conveys amusement and laughter. The smiley face with smiling eyes (????) adds a more genuine touch to the basic smiley, expressing warmth and happiness. The smiling face with open hands (????) can be used to communicate either warm, happy feelings (like you want to give the person a hug) or excitement (as though you’re doing jazz hands).
Send a smiley face back.
Show the other person that you share their happy sentiment. This reply allows you to keep things simple and friendly, regardless of what you're texting about. Say you’ve been chatting about your day, or you’ve just confirmed plans with someone, prompting them to send you a smiley face. Return the smiley as a way to acknowledge them without starting a whole new conversation. Use the smiley face guide above to add nuance to your message. Stay more reserved with the slightly smiling face (????), or use the smiley face with smiling eyes (????) to add some extra sincerity.
Step it up with a flirty emoji.
Use this response if you’re texting a crush or significant other. You can emphasize your interest and affection for this person by texting them a smiley face that has some extra flirty details to it. Choose your emoji wisely, and make sure that the exchange you're having is definitely flirty before you use the more obviously romantic ones. The winking emoji (????) can be used to tease, or be coy with your crush. The heart-eyed emoji (????) and the kissing emoji (????) allow you to be more straightforward in showing your texting partner how you feel about them.
Send a string of emojis.
Make a game out of texting emojis, and see how far you both get. Tell a story with a combination of emojis, and challenge the person you're texting with to send an equally interesting emoji reply of their own. See how many different emojis you can incorporate into your messages, and what kind of funny exchanges you and this person could have! If the other person texts you a smiley face to start the conversation, you could text back “Hey!” or “Hey! What’s up?” using a waving emoji, followed by a question mark emoji and a hand pointing up. (????❓????) If you’re texting your crush, you could use your reply to subtly suggest a movie date using just emojis. (????????❓)
Send a picture or selfie.
An interesting photo will capture the other person's attention. Emojis are easy to use, but photos are a great way to break the ice and prompt a conversation beyond emojis with someone. Try sending a selfie you’re especially proud of, a cute picture of your pet, or a meal you’ve just made for yourself, and give your texting partner a glance into your day-to-day life. If you have an idea of the other person’s sense of humor, try pairing the photo up with a joke or pun. Send a picture of yourself using a funny Snapchat filter—or, if you’re trying to flirt, use a cute filter instead. Don’t send anything too provocative until you get to know the person better, and you know that they’d be okay with that. Sending intimate photos before the other person is ready can really sabotage a relationship!
Text a GIF in response.
You can be even more expressive with a GIF than with emojis. If an emoji (or even a string of them) doesn’t fully encapsulate how you're feeling about that smiley face message, and you’d like to reply with something other than a static image, try sending a GIF. Depending on the text interaction you’re having, this could be a funny GIF, a friendly one, or even something more flirty. When a friend’s smiley face text makes you happy, send a GIF of someone going to hug another person—or, even better, a GIF of animals cuddling. When in doubt, everyone loves cute animals! You can also send a flirty GIF of someone waving, or winking, to get your crush’s attention.
Change the subject.
If the conversation stagnates, find a new topic to refresh it. Smiley faces are nice to include in text messages as a way to convey your mood, but when sent solo, they don’t really help to move along the conversation. If you get a smiley face text and want to keep talking to this person, then acknowledge the text and redirect the conversation to a topic that you’re comfortable speaking on. Try bringing up an interesting or funny story by texting back, “Hey! ???? You’ll never BELIEVE what happened on my run yesterday.” Ask something open-ended that can’t just be answered with “yes” or “no,” such as: “What was the best part of your day today?” Asking the other person a question is a surefire way to keep the conversation going. When in doubt, people are usually happy to talk about themselves!
Comment on the smiley face.
Tell the other person how you feel about their text. If you had a great text exchange before they sent the smiley (or if the text was sent by someone you like without prompting), you can simply tell them you appreciate the gesture. On the other hand, it’s also completely okay to tell someone you didn't appreciate the text if it made you uncomfortable! To respond positively, text something like, “Hey there! Thanks for the ????, right back at ya!” To turn someone down nicely, say, “I’m flattered, but I’m just not interested.” If you’re not sure what the other person is trying to communicate, just ask! “Hey, I saw your text! What’s up?”
Ignore the text.
You don't have to reply to an awkward or unnecessary message. Generally, it's pretty easy to interpret and react to smiley face texts. However, if the conversation has reached a natural stopping point, or if you don’t want to talk to the person who sent the text, then you can choose not to respond at all. A simple emoji text might not require an answer! If you have nothing else to say at the moment and you know the other person won’t read the wrong thing from your silence, just leave it at that. Alternatively, if the person who texted you is genuinely being creepy and inappropriate, you don’t owe them a “Sorry, I’m not interested” text. You can just block their number and move on.
Use context clues to figure out your reply.
Smiley face emojis can be used in many circumstances. When you get a smiley face text and you’re not sure how to respond, take a look at the situation in which you received it. What were you talking about when they sent the message? What platform were you using to send messages? This can tell you if your texting partner was being friendly, flirting, or something different. If you got this person’s number through a dating site, then a smiley face text is probably being used to get your attention, and lead into some flirting. If you’ve just asked a friend or coworker for a favor, then they’re sending a smiley face to indicate that they’re happy to help. Whatever you do, avoid asking for an outsider’s interpretation of the text. Someone who doesn’t know the details of your relationship with your texting partner is even more likely to misinterpret their texts! Just interpret the text as best you can, and talk to your texting partner if you need clarification on something.
Remember that most replies will work out well.
Texting is tricky, because you can’t see or hear the other person. If you’ve received a smiley face text and you’re not entirely sure how to send back the “right” response, try not to overthink or worry too much about it. When in doubt, focus on keeping your reply short, simple, and lighthearted, and save the deeper conversations for in-person or phone call conversations.
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