In real life, we talk about giving someone “the look,” or “making eyes at each other.” We’d all recognize “the look” if we saw it.
If you’ve ever observed a couple looking at each other adoringly on a date that went well, you know what it means to give someone “the eyes” or “the look.”
In a world where we increasingly meet and build connections with people online and via dating apps, emojis play a big role in communicating all the unspoken emotions that we used to convey with our eyes and expressions.
Just because using emojis to communicate has become more common doesn’t mean it is always straightforward. We often find ourselves not knowing what the person we’re texting means or how to respond.
If a someone sends you the 👀 emoji and you’re wondering what to say back, you’ve come to the right place. Here is a comprehensive list of sample responses.
25 great ways to respond to 👀 emoji
- What are you looking at? 🙃
- 👀👀👀
- ….yes?
- Stop looking at me, you’re making me blush!
- Hey there, you ☺️
- Hi boyfriend 🥰
- 😈
- You need to work on your eye contact.
- Hahah what does that mean?
- 👀 right back at ya.
- Caaaan I help you with something? 😏
- Does that mean you like what you see?
- What are you giving me that look for?
- No comment 😶
- Hi there 👀
- Are you flirting with me? 😉
- Is there something you want to say to me? 😏
- Hi, how are you? Is there a reason you’re texting me?
- Why are you sending me that emoji? 😒
- 🙄
- Sorry, I’m very busy. If you have something to say, please use your words.
- Hey, thanks for your message. I just wanted to check that you know we’re just friends, right?
- I’m genuinely confused––what do you mean by that emoji?
- Is there something I can help you with? I’d prefer if we didn’t communicate outside of working hours.
- I don’t know why, but it makes me uncomfortable when you use emojis like that. Can we just stick to formal messages?
How to respond to 👀 from someone you like
You might have gotten to this point in the article and still be wondering, “What does 👀 even mean?”
The “shifty eyes” or “eyes” emoji can mean several things.
For one thing, they can be “pervy eyes,” which are used to show attraction or to suggest something flirtatious. People often slide into someone they like’s DMs to initiate a “flirtationship” by sending just “the eyes.”
Alternatively, “the eyes” can also be a way of pointing out that a situation is or was awkward.
For example, if you work with someone and they send you “the eyes” after a meeting about staff cuts, they are probably making a point that the meeting you were just in was incredibly uncomfortable to sit through.
That said, the most common usage of “the eyes” is to indicate that you look good, or that the person texting wants to get to know you better.
Here are a few ways you can respond if someone you’re into sends you “the eyes.”
1. What are you looking at? 🙃
People use 🙃 when flirting to be coy or to show that they are using dry humor.
Of course, the person texting you is not actually “looking” at anything through their emoji eyes.
But jokily asking, “What are you looking at?”, which is usually used as a rhetorical question that expresses irritation, is a clever joke.
It will certainly keep the tone of your conversation lighthearted, and it will show the person texting you that you are interested in chatting.
2. 👀👀👀
If someone sends you “the eyes” emoji out of the blue, you can respond with a string of “the eyes” emojis.
Don’t do the hard work for the person reaching out to you. Make them express themselves clearly if they want to start a conversation!
Keep the banter going and show that you are interested in talking by responding with a funny “👀👀👀”, but don’t give them an easy way out of putting the effort into starting a real conversation.
3. ….yes?
What would you do if you were sitting next to your crush IRL and they were staring at you in a silly way?
You might ask them what they were doing, or you might look at them and slowly say, “….yes?” as a way of asking them to explain their behavior.
This lighthearted response to “the eyes” shows that you are up for having a witty back-and-forth over text. It also tells person you’re chatting to that you think they are someone with whom you could arrange a date worth keeping.
4. Stop looking at me, you’re making me blush!
If someone sends you “the eyes” after a first date, it’s a surefire way to tell that they had a good time.
If are wondering whether your crush will ask you on a second date, this cute response to “👀” is a good way to go.
The better and more familiar a dynamic you establish over text, the closer you’ll feel when you do go on another date.
5. Hey there, you ☺️
This is another good text to send if you have already been on a few dates with the person who sent you “the eyes.”
Calling someone “you” as a nickname is a clear show of affection.
If you know you like someone and want them to feel like you are getting closer to saying “I love you” for the first time, using little terms of endearment here and there is a great way to say “I appreciate you” without having to use those exact words.
6. Hi boyfriend 🥰
If you are in a relationship and your boyfriend sends you the eyes, he is probably being suggestive and referencing your intimacy.
You can respond with a cute “Hi boyfriend,” followed by a “smiley face with three hearts” emoji.
This conveys, “I love you so much” without you having to reciprocate his references to the intimate, physical aspects of your relationship.
7. 😈
On the other hand, if you feel very comfortable talking about or referencing the physical relationship you have with the person texting you, you can respond to “the eyes” with the devil emoji.
This bold response will let the person you’re texting know that you are up for a good time, so to speak.
8. You need to work on your eye contact.
If you aren’t one for cheesy flirting, hate responding to pick-up lines, and would never send a “kissy face” emoji, you might be the type to respond to “the eyes” emoji with a dry comeback like this one.
If you send this to a guy you’re into, he’ll know he’s dating a smart girl.
9. Hahah what does that mean?
Some people like to indulge in a little playful, cutesy flirting, while others like to cut to the chase.
If you fall into the latter category, you could respond to “👀” by simply laughing and asking what the person you’re texting means.
10. 👀 right back at ya
If you want to reciprocate the flirty glance (albeit virtually), you can respond to “the eyes” emoji with this witty quip.
This response leaves the ball in the other person’s court to continue the conversation.
11. Caaaan I help you with something? 😏
The smirking emoji is notoriously flirtatious. If you ever want to make sure someone understands that you’re interested in them, this emoji will convey your interest without a shadow of a doubt.
But the smirking emoji on its own is a little boring. If you want to keep the banter going, why not respond with a funny, “Caaaan I help you with something?”
This forces the person you’re speaking to to respond to your question, which will keep the momentum of your chat alive.
12. Does that mean you like what you see?
If you aren’t a huge fan of emojis and prefer to cut straight to the chase when it comes to flirting, you could respond to “the eyes” with this bold question.
However, this sample response comes with a warning: Be aware that if you say this, you’re inviting all sorts of possible messages, including potentially explicit texts.
So, only ask this question if that’s really your thing.
13. What are you giving me that look for?
This is another witty response to “the eyes” that will surely be appreciated by anyone who likes clever conversation.
If you are dating a nerd, they’ll love your quick wit and enthusiasm.
14. No comment 😶
Sometimes someone will use “the eyes” to reference a very specific event. If the person sending you “👀” is someone you are either dating or in a relationship with, they may send it to you after you’ve shared a special moment together, such as a particularly good kiss.
If you know what they are referring to and want them to know that you do, but also don’t want to have to ruin the moment by saying too much, you can respond with a cute, “No comment 😶.”
This is essentially the texting equivalent of pleading the fifth.
15. Hi there 👀
If someone you like the look of slides into your DMs and sends you just a 👀 emoji, you might respond with a cute, “Hi there 👀.”
This shows that you are open to talking, but that you aren’t quite sure what the person is doing in your DMs and that you aren’t going to make life too easy for them.
You’re letting them know that if they want your attention––and especially if they want to ask you out––they’ll have to work for it.
16. Are you flirting with me? 😉
One of the essential things about flirting is that one must be suave while doing it.
This means not being too obvious about your interest and doing your best to act nonchalant. And we all know it’s a little embarrassing when someone comments on the fact that you’re trying to be suave.
This is why the question, “Are you flirting with me?” is so effective at provoking a response. Even when it is meant as a joke, it will cause the person who sent you “the eyes” to feel a little flustered.
They’ll be more interested in talking to you than ever because they’ll want to redeem themselves and prove that even though they were openly flirting with you, they’re still cool.
17. Is there something you want to say to me? 😏
If someone opens a conversation on Tinder with just “the eyes” emoji, you’re well within your rights to ask them if there’s something they want to say to you.
I mean, come on, how hard is it to type out a quick message? Even responding to “What’s up?” on Tinder isn’t as bad as trying to find a clever comeback to a single emoji.
Adding the smirking emoji to the end of your question will show the person you’re speaking to that you aren’t shutting them down; you’re just asking them to up their game.
How to respond to 👀 from someone you aren’t interested in
While receiving a notification that someone is making virtual eyes at you can be flattering, it can also be awkward if the person who sent you the emoji isn’t someone you’re interested in.
There are several great ways to handle an unwanted online advance. Here are a few suggestions for how to respond to “the eyes” from someone you don’t want to flirt with.
18. Hi, how are you? Is there a reason you’re texting me?
When responding to an unwanted message online, the best policy is often just the most honest and straightforward response you can think of.
If your natural reaction to someone you don’t know very well sending you a flirty message is simply, “Is there a reason you’re texting me?” then you can send that exact message.
Keeping things polite by asking the unwanted interlocutor how they are shows that you want to be civil but that just because you are friendly doesn’t mean everyone has a right to hang out in your DMs.
19. Why are you sending me that emoji? 😒
If you want to be a little more forthcoming and show that you are not happy that someone has sent you a flirty emoji, you can send them a frowny face.
This emoji shows that you are irritated and don’t have the patience to be polite when the person texting you is clearly being inappropriate.
20. 🙄
If you have absolutely no time for someone who is texting you, you can simply send an “eye roll” emoji in response to 👀.
21. Sorry, I’m very busy. If you have something to say, please use your words.
If someone has messaged you in the past and you have already asked them to stop contacting you, you can be curt when you respond to them.
Saying you’re busy is a good way to inform a person that you don’t want to talk to them.
Follow this up by saying that if they want to be in contact with you, they have to tell you exactly why. Let them know they cannot hide behind emojis.
22. Hey, thanks for your message. I just wanted to check that you know we’re just friends, right?
If you suspect that one of your friends would like to be “more than friends” and transition from friendship to a romantic relationship because they keep sending you flirty messages, you can respond in a straightforward way that lets them know you don’t see them like that.
23. I’m genuinely confused––what do you mean by that emoji?
If you actually can’t figure out why on earth someone is sending you “the eyes,” respond by asking them to explain their behavior!
24. Is there something I can help you with? I’d prefer if we didn’t communicate outside of working hours.
If a colleague whom you suspect has a crush on you sends you “the eyes” emoji––either via your work email or a private social media profile––you can tell them you’d like to keep the contact between you two to working hours.
They’ll understand that it would not be a good idea to ask a coworker on a date in this instance, and will hopefully keep things professional from now on.
25. I don’t know why, but it makes me uncomfortable when you use emojis like that. Can we just stick to more formal messages?
You don’t always have to know why something makes you uncomfortable to know that it does. If something feels off, it is an inappropriate text message for someone to be sending you.
Just respond to the person sending you an uncomfortable set of leering digital eyes by saying that you’d like to keep things more formal between you.
Hey, it’s me, Steven. Dating and relationships have always fascinated me. On Dategosu, you will find my best tips to make sure your next date is a great success!