Police have issued guidance to parents about emojis that can carry hidden meanings on children's phones, with one specific symbol, the horse emoji, flagged as a potential reference to drug use.
Why this has become a bigger conversation
Awareness around coded emoji use grew significantly following Netflix's Adolescence, a drama following a 13-year-old boy arrested after a female classmate is killed, which explored how ordinary phone symbols can mask references to harmful online communities and behaviours. Following its release, many parents began paying closer attention to symbols appearing in their children's messages, with the show highlighting how emojis have been adopted by online communities, including misogynistic "manosphere" spaces, to communicate covertly. Sociolinguistics expert Dr Robert Lawson, of Birmingham City University, has written about how symbols like the red pill, drawn from The Matrix, carry specific meaning within these communities, and the show also depicted how different coloured heart emojis can signal varying romantic or sexual intentions.
What the horse emoji reportedly means
While Adolescence focused on ideological messaging, police guidance has centred more heavily on drug-related codes. Surrey Police published guidance in 2023 explaining that a horse emoji can be used to refer to ketamine, a substance originally used in veterinary medicine.
Other emojis flagged by police
The same guidance lists several other symbols with alleged coded meanings. An alien, demon mask, space invader, or skull emoji can reportedly refer to MDMA. A snowflake, snowman, or blowfish can indicate cocaine. Cannabis has reportedly been represented by symbols including dogs, cake, ice cream, lemons, grapes, trees, or leaves, while a plug emoji is commonly used to refer to a supplier.
Police advice to parents
Surrey Police stressed that context matters, and that a single emoji appearing in a message doesn't automatically indicate wrongdoing. The force said trust between parents and children is essential, adding that it isn't suggesting parents check their children's phones, but wants people to be aware of what these symbols can mean if they do come across them.
