Emojis can appear differently from one device to another due to variations in the interpretation of Unicode standards by manufacturers. These differences can be due to software updates, designs specific to each brand, or different versions of Unicode used by the devices.
Each device runs on its own operating system, for example, there's iOS from Apple, Android from Google, or Windows from Microsoft. And each has its own unique way of handling emojis. Naturally, companies create their own set of emojis, with their graphics, visual style, and an aesthetic that reflects them. So, when you send a smiley emoji from an iPhone, it will look slightly different on a Samsung or a PC running Windows. The visual differences exist because each manufacturer wants to differentiate its visual identity and make the user experience unique. And that's also why your favorite emoji might not look the same from one device to another!
When a new wave of emojis is approved by the Unicode consortium, each platform (Apple, Android, Windows, etc.) decides when it wants to integrate them into its updates. It never happens on the same date. As a result, while your iPhone already displays a melting face, your friend's Android phone may still struggle with an empty square or a question mark. This discrepancy arises from the different pace at which each manufacturer deploys its system updates, as well as their internal priorities and schedules. For users, this inevitably creates a period of uncertainty, where some emojis are visible on your device but not yet on the one you're sending them to.
Each brand (Apple, Google, Samsung, etc.) creates its own visual designs. The same emoji can have a slightly different expression depending on the manufacturer: a smile with squinted eyes from Apple can sometimes appear tense from Samsung or downright hilarious from Google. The color nuances, details, or facial expressions are freely chosen by each company, which can sometimes completely change the tone or interpretation of the same emoji. As a result, depending on your phone, the emoji sent can be perceived differently by your interlocutor, somewhat like a visual misunderstanding.
Emojis can vary from place to place according to cultural and regional sensitivities. For example, the emoji representing a hand forming a circle with the thumb and index finger 👌 generally means that everything is OK in Europe or the USA, but in some countries like Brazil, this gesture has an insulting connotation! That’s why Apple even adapted the noodle bowl emoji 🍜 to look specifically like Japanese ramen in Japan, while it is more neutral elsewhere. Another nice example is that some emojis meant to represent food, like dumplings 🥟, change slightly depending on the region, because everyone imagines this iconic dish in their own way: in China, they resemble jiaozi, while in Europe, they look more like European dumplings. These cultural differences explain why these universal little drawings are not always exactly the same on your smartphone or tablet!
Emojis are governed by an international standard called Unicode, but each manufacturer is free to create its own graphical interpretation, which explains their visual variations from one device to another.
Every year, a dedicated committee selects and approves new emojis from thousands of proposals submitted from around the world!
The laughing face emoji 😂 became, in 2015, the very first emoji to be voted 'Word of the Year' by the Oxford Dictionary.
Some emojis sometimes spark cultural controversies. For example, the emoji depicting two hands joined together 🙏 is often interpreted as a prayer in some countries and as a simple sign of gratitude in others.
No, not necessarily. Even though consortia try to create universal symbols, emojis can be interpreted differently depending on cultural, geographical, and social contexts. It's important to be mindful of potential cultural differences.
Not exactly. However, you can use some third-party applications that partially standardize the appearance of emojis across platforms. But the natively embedded emojis will always remain manufacturer-specific.
Each manufacturer has its own graphic interpretation of emojis. Thus, an emoji sent with a certain emotion may be displayed differently on the recipient's device, sometimes leading to a misunderstanding of its meaning.
Sure! Here’s the translation: "Yes, several platforms offer advanced customization of emojis or the creation of avatars (like Apple's Memoji or Bitmoji). However, these customized emojis may appear differently or may not display correctly on other devices."
This happens when the receiving device does not yet have the necessary updates to display these recent emojis. Each platform rolls out its updates at its own pace, which explains this situation.
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