Lurkin is a Twitch emote used to indicate that a viewer is "lurking" in a stream - meaning they are present in the chat and watching (or have the stream open) but are not actively participating in the conversation. The emote features a pair of eyes peeking up from the bottom of the frame, suggesting someone watching quietly from the shadows or background.
Origin
The Lurkin emote is a custom emote that appears to be available through third-party emote services like FrankerFaceZ (FFZ) or BetterTTV (BTTV). The specific design shows what appears to be eyes barely visible at the bottom edge, creating the impression of someone peeking or hiding while watching. While the exact upload date and original creator aren't definitively documented in mainstream sources, emotes with this "lurking" theme became popular in the mid-to-late 2010s as Twitch culture developed around the concept of lurkers - viewers who support streams by maintaining viewership numbers even when they can't actively chat.
When to use
When a viewer arrives in a stream but needs to do other tasks (work, chores, etc.) and wants to let the streamer know they're still supporting by having the stream open
When someone is watching but eating, so they can't type in chat
When viewers want to acknowledge their presence without interrupting the flow of conversation
As a response when a streamer asks "who's lurking?" or calls out lurkers
When someone needs to step away but wants to keep the stream running in the background
As a polite way to indicate passive viewing while still showing support for the streamer's viewer count
