Guides

Articles on choosing and reading emoji

• Emoji Design Philosophy by Platform: Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft and TwitterApple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft and Twitter draw the same emoji differently. Each style, big changes like Google's blob, and how to compare them here.
• The History of Emoji: From Japanese Mobile Phones to a Global StandardHow tiny picture characters on 1990s Japanese phones became a worldwide standard, from Unicode and the iPhone keyboard to the Oxford Word of the Year.
• What to Do When Emoji Won't Copy or Come Out Broken (PC, Mobile, Excel, Word)Why pasted emoji turn into boxes, question marks or black-and-white in Excel and Word, by symptom, with fixes you can try right away on PC, mobile and Office.
• Emoji and Copyright: Can You Use Emoji Images Commercially?Emoji characters are free to type, but Apple and Samsung artwork is copyrighted. Three open-license sets, how to credit them, and cautions for merch and logos.
• How to Open the Emoji Keyboard on Windows and Mac: Shortcuts and TipsThe fastest way to enter emoji on a PC is the built-in emoji panel. Shortcuts for Windows, Mac, Chromebook and Linux, plus tips for when the search misses.
• Emoji vs Emoticons vs Stickers: What's the Difference?Emoji, emoticons, stickers and Japanese kaomoji look alike but work differently. Why chat stickers won't copy into other apps, and what to use when.
• How Family, Job and Flag Emoji Combine: ZWJ Explained SimplyOne emoji can be several glued together by an invisible character. How family, job and flag emoji combine, why they split on some devices, and how to avoid it.
• Every New Emoji This Year: A Roundup of Emoji 17 and 18The 17 new emoji from Emoji 17.0 and 18.0, listed with their names, how people may use them, and when they might show up on your phone.
• Emoji Skin Tone Guide: When to Change It and When to Use YellowHand and people emoji come in five skin tones. Why they exist, the debate in English-speaking countries, views in Korea and Japan, and tips for work accounts.
• What Is a Shortcode (:smile:)? How to Type Emoji in Slack, GitHub and DiscordHow shortcodes turn an English name between colons into an emoji, why names differ across Slack, GitHub and Discord, and 30 common ones for work and dev.
• Work Chat Emoji Etiquette: Rules That Work in Slack, Teams and Any MessengerEmoji warm up work chat but can read as careless if misused. Reaction basics, how much to use with bosses, clients and teammates, and how to set team rules.
• How Emoji Meanings Changed: 🍑 🍆 💀 🧢 🙃 🤡Peaches and eggplants became slang, the skull became laughter and the cap became a lie. How six emoji changed meaning, and what happens at work or with parents.
• When a Newer Emoji Shows Up as a Box: Causes and FixesIf an emoji shows up as a box, an X or a question mark, your device usually does not know it yet. Causes, why some split in two, fixes and substitutes.
• 15 Emoji That Get Misread in Korea, Japan and the USThe same emoji can read very differently in Korea, Japan and English-speaking countries. How 15 emoji get misread, and a safer substitute for each.
• Why the Same Emoji Looks Different on iPhone and GalaxyEmoji are characters, not pictures, and Apple, Samsung and Google each draw their own. Why emoji look different across devices and how to avoid mix-ups.
• Crying Emoji 😢😭🥲🥹😿 Explained: Sadness, Being Moved or Laughter?How the crying emoji differ, why the sobbing face often means laughter, how they match text faces like T_T and which to send when you comfort someone.
• Heart Emoji Colors and Their Meanings: A Complete GuideWhat each heart emoji color and shape means, from red and yellow to black and white, with romance, friendship and fandom contexts and cultural differences.
• Is 😂 an "Old People" Emoji? Laughing Emoji by Generation (💀 😭 🤣 lol)Why the tears-of-joy emoji picked up an old-people reputation, why Gen Z laughs with skull and sobbing emoji, and how lol, kk and Japan's w and 草 fit in.
• 🙂 vs 😊: When a Smile Emoji Turns SarcasticIf a lone slight smile left you uneasy, it is not just you. How six smile emoji differ, why it reads as passive-aggressive, the upside-down face and safe picks.
• Why 👍 Can Feel Rude: The Thumbs-Up Emoji DebateWhy a thumbs-up meaning "good" can feel cold or rude: the 2022 debate, generational and cultural readings, a gesture taboo and when it is still fine.