lurkk is a Twitch emote used to indicate that a viewer is "lurking" in a stream - meaning they are present in the chat but not actively participating or watching. The emote features a cute green frog or creature with a subtle, content smile, representing the passive but friendly presence of someone who wants to support the streamer while multitasking or being away from their screen.
Origin
The lurkk emote originates from the popular "lurk" culture on Twitch, where viewers announce their intention to remain in the stream (boosting viewer count) while being AFK or doing other activities. This specific emote appears to be a custom channel emote or third-party emote (likely from BetterTTV, FrankerFaceZ, or 7TV) that gained popularity in the early 2020s. The design is inspired by or derived from various "comfy" or "cozy" emote styles that became prevalent in Twitch culture, featuring simple, cute character designs that convey a relaxed, low-pressure presence.
When to use
Viewers typically use lurkk when: (1) Entering a stream but needing to step away or do other tasks while keeping the stream open, (2) Supporting a streamer by maintaining their viewer count even when not actively watching, (3) Announcing they're going to lurk before going AFK, often accompanied by messages like "lurkk gotta make dinner" or "lurkk doing homework", (4) During slower stream moments when chat activity is low but viewers want to show they're still present, and (5) As a friendly, non-intrusive way to acknowledge the streamer without demanding attention or interaction.
