= nautical term, harbor (on maps) ⁓ 2693 FE0E text style ⁓ 2693 FE0F emoji style
Information
People reach for it to signal stability, commitment, or “we’re staying put,” popping up in messages like “holding it down,” “anchored at home tonight,” or the slightly theatrical “I’m locked in.” It also works sarcastically—“anchored to my desk” during marathon meetings—or as a flex when chaos swirls and you refuse to move. You’ll see it sailing through cruise photos, Navy and sailor shout-outs, and sea shanty TikTok nostalgia, often paired with wave emojis and a captain’s hat.
Culturally, it tips its cap to old-school sailor ink (steadfastness) and the classic symbol of hope. Expect plenty of wordplay—news nerds can’t resist “anchor” jokes—and the occasional soft-launch love post that basically says, “you keep me steady.”
On Apple/iOS, the emoji shows up as a polished steel-gray anchor with a small chain draped along one side, a round eyelet at the top, a straight crossbar, and curved flukes that look ready to bite into the seabed, all rendered with crisp 3D shading so it nearly gleams. It’s concentrated nautical hardware: heavy metal, twin flukes, and big “don’t drift” energy. You can practically hear harbor gulls—the visual equivalent of slamming the brakes on the ocean.
Definition
An anchor is used to hold a floating vessel (boat or ship) in one place. A heavy weight attached to a boat with a chain that is thrown into the water (overboard) until it hits the bottom of the body of water, such as the ocean floor. A navigational symbol for a marina, harbor, or shipyard. A stereotypical tattoo found on a sailor, such as the cartoon character Popeye the Sailor Man.
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Emoji History The emoji code/ image log of changes.
This emoji first appeared in OSX / iOS after the iOS 5 update.
The code generated for this emoji was changed slightly in iOS 7 / OSX 10.9 (a variation selector was added) advising the OS to display character emoji style instead of black and white text when available. We don't mind Apple, thank you! We just love our emojis! [Sources 11438-emoji-var.pdf 13.7 Variation Selectors (unicode.org)]
