empty nest Emoji
🪹 · U+1FAB9 · Emoji 14.0
What does the empty nest emoji mean?
Meaning reviewed and updated July 2026 · Unicode data from the official Unicode Standard
Literally, an empty nest refers to a nest that is no longer occupied by birds or other animals, but figuratively, it symbolizes a home where children have grown up and left, often used to describe the emotional state of parents experiencing this life change. Empty nest is also used slangily to describe a sense of loneliness or a new stage of life, and can be used to express a range of emotions from sadness to freedom. In a broader sense, the empty nest can represent a transition or a new beginning. This emoji can be used to convey a sense of nostalgia or a fresh start.
How the empty nest emoji is used
Empty nest emoji usage is often seen in social media posts and captions where parents share their feelings about their children leaving home, with a tone that can range from melancholic to celebratory. On platforms like TikTok and Instagram, younger generations may use the empty nest emoji in a humorous or ironic way to describe a friend moving out or a new living situation. The tone of the message can greatly affect the interpretation of the emoji, and it is often used in conjunction with other emojis to convey a specific emotion. In comments and texting, the empty nest emoji can be used to offer support or solidarity to someone going through a similar experience.
empty nest emoji examples
- Just dropped off my last kid at college and I'm feeling the empty nest blues 🪹
- Finally moved into my own place and I'm loving the empty nest life 🪹
How to copy the empty nest emoji
To use the empty nest emoji, tap the Copy button above, then paste it (long-press then Paste on mobile, or Ctrl+V / Cmd+V on desktop) anywhere you can type: messages, captions, usernames, bios and documents. It copies the real Unicode character (U+1FAB9), so it works on every app and platform, no download needed.
Also known as
empty nest emoji on different platforms
How the empty nest emoji looks across emoji sets. These designs come from openly-licensed sets (Twemoji, Google Noto, OpenMoji). See image credits.



empty nest Emoji Details
| Emoji | 🪹 |
| Name | empty nest |
| Category | Animals & Nature |
| Codepoints | U+1FAB9 |
| Shortcode | :empty_nest: |
| Emoji version | 14.0 |
| Unicode version | 14.0 |
empty nest Emoji FAQ
Literally, an empty nest refers to a nest that is no longer occupied by birds or other animals, but figuratively, it symbolizes a home where children have grown up and left, often used to describe the emotional state of parents experiencing this life change. Empty nest is also used slangily to describe a sense of loneliness or a new stage of life, and can be used to express a range of emotions from sadness to freedom.
Tap the Copy button at the top of this page, then paste 🪹 wherever you type. Because it copies the real Unicode character, it works in every app on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac.
It is U+1FAB9, introduced in Emoji version 14.0 (Unicode 14.0). Its shortcode is :empty_nest:.
People also search for the empty nest emoji as branch, empty, home, nest, nesting.