Love is not just romance. Itโs a huge spectrum of different actions that all mean the same thing; love. Oh, and if youโre unfamiliar, love is a verb, not a noun. So, physical affection is one of the ways of showing love.
Human touch is a lot more powerful than we think.
When we say โphysical affectionโ, it can be as blunt as holding hands or even a peck on the forehead. Not everything physical is to do with sex and not everything sexual is to do with the physical (something to think about).
Anyway, coming back onto the topic weโre here to elaborate โ here are our top emoji picks for showing physical affection. Hence, our definition of PDA = Physical Display of Affection and not public.
#1 Hugs

๐ค Hugging Face Emoji
A yellow ๐ Smiling Face with a pair of ๐ Jazz Hands may not exactly seems like a face thatโs sending out hugs, but it is, in the emoji world..
Given the discretion, ๐ค could be the best emoji to show physical affection to people youโre neither โphysically involvedโ with or those who are in and outside the โcircle of acquaintanceโ.

๐ฅ Front-Facing Baby Chick Emoji
First of all, this baby staring at you with its teenie tiny wings wide open is an adorable emoji version of a hug. And ๐ฅ is a cute way of sending virtual hugs to anyone; friends, family, lovers, etc. The chick loves all!
- Aw. Donโt worry. Weโll get through this together ๐ฅ

๐ Open Hands Emoji
Though ๐ is part of ๐ค, it can be a hugger by itself too. However, this emoji is to be used in a strictly virtual and objective setup. Because ๐ could give out that โrudeโ vibe in subjective contexts.
- Lots of love to everyone who contributed ๐
-
Itโs all a matter of time, love ๐
(Um. Excuse me? Were you trying to be โannoyingly straightforwardโ? Rude? Telling me something I donโt know?) - The possibilities are endless. Hence, itโs always important to know your audience.

๐ซ People Hugging Emoji
Donโt ever underestimate silhouettes.
๐ซ may not have real faces on it (or emoji ones), but it sends a clear and strong message. A warm hug between two people! This oneโs definitely for the closer and closest circles.
- Itโs alright, dude. Things like these take time. Iโm always here, kay? ๐ซ
#2 Kisses

๐ Kissing Face
As you can tell, this section of the list (like the others) would work its way up to more affection. Hence, kickstarting with the least.
Although ๐ says โkissing faceโ, it could symbolize a wide-eyed whistling face too. But sticking to facts, this emoji is best for platonic conversations and any other type of communication that has zero love interest.

๐ Kissing Face With Smiling Eyes Emoji
Smiling while kissing suggests a sense of joy in showing physical affection. It does not come free for everyone, of course. It ought to be earned.
๐ could be a kissing face to convey familial love, the kind you have for your family, and friends. But, not the closest circle. This emoji would be perfect for people who are invited to the wedding but not the bachelorette.

๐ Kissing Face With Closed Eyes Emoji
We all know that one (or more) person/people who make us blush. No, honey. Not talking about the flaky ones. The real ones.
Blushing is a facial and physiological reaction to something that overwhelming to an extent (it can be negative and positive).
๐ is especially for those who make you feel a little more special than the people who fit into the previous two emojis. However, that โlittle moreโ is not the โbestโ, yet, and thatโs the distinction.

๐ Face Blowing a Kiss Emoji
Weโre acquainted enough with the โค๏ธ Heart to know that this pagan symbol means love, without a doubt. But, that too, has itโs variants.
๐ does not speak only the language of bodies. Since it shows warmth and affection, this emoji is for all those you truly love. The kind where youโd โdo anythingโ. Neednโt be romantic per se.

๐ Kiss Mark Emoji
A lipstick mark. Now, this oneโs purely physical. Nothing sapiosexual, platonic, or even brotherly in here (well, unless the Lannisters are reading this).
๐ is a symbol of physical affection that surpasses formality. Itโs a mark of seduction, romance, love, and probably even lust!

๐ Mouth Emoji
A mouth is bound to do more than just kissing. It can be a replacement for the exit (bodily exit). It could curse, abuse, promise, vocalize affirmations, words of compassion, love, and hate too.
But, in this framework, the focus is physical affection. You could use ๐ to express kisses, but you get to decide if you wish to upgrade the usage of this emoji depending on your relationship with the person.

๐ Kiss: Woman, Man Emoji
๐ is the epitome of a romantic relationship. Assuming weโre all on the same page now, this emoji can be settled as the most intimate kiss of all.
There are other variations of ๐ โ ๐ฉโโค๏ธโ๐โ๐ฉ Two Women Kissing, and ๐จโโค๏ธโ๐โ๐จ Two Men Kissing that work just the same for different people in love/relationship.
#3 Holding Hands

๐งโ๐คโ๐ง People Holding Hands Emoji
๐งโ๐คโ๐ง is evidently a gender-neutral emoji. We donโt know the sexual orientation of these two people. Neither do we know the relationship between the two.
Ainโt it so beautiful and simple when we cannot guess the personal lives and stories of people? Itโs a sign of minding our own business!
But, ๐งโ๐คโ๐ง are two people holding hands, thus becoming another way of showing physical affection. It may seem like a little but we know it means quite a lot.

๐ฌ Men Holding Hands Emoji
Hereโs a couple with two men, males, boys, in it. Now, they could be besties, brothers, or even lovers! Itโs not for us to decide. All that matters here is that they love each other, hence they choose to hold hands.

๐ญ Women Holding Hands Emoji
When the term โphysical affectionโ comes up, itโs not just to do with your relationship with someone. It could also be a symbol of oneness too.
As much as ๐ญ signifies a romantic relationship, a pair of siblings, two best friends, etc., it could also look like a human chain when multiplied โ ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ. Thus, suggesting unity.

๐ซ Woman and Man Holding Hands Emoji
Ah, here we are! The most idolized couple! It so happens that even if the people in ๐ซ are not in a relationship, theyโre somehow summed up to it.
This emoji could refer to best friends (like the other pairs holding hands), siblings, twins, anything! As important as it is to recognize ๐ซ as a pair in romantic love, this emoji could also suggest other forms of love.
Physical affection is different from physical relationships. There are no benefits here, all for love and loveโs sake. Again, all love is not romantic love.
Truth is, we cannot exist sanely without it. Both love, and physical affection and affirmation. Humans like other species need it, if not more. So during the times you cannot physically be there for someone, we hope these emojis come to the rescue!