How to Get Emoji on Android

Reviewed by Candace Gasper

Last Updated: January 18, 2023

This wikiHow will teach how to get emoji characters on your Android device, which depends on the version of Android you are running.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Checking Your Android's Version

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1
Open the Settings menu for your Android. You can do this by tapping the Settings app in your Apps list.
- Emoji support is dependent on the version of Android that you are using, since emoji is a system-level font. Each new release of Android adds support for newer emoji characters.
On some devices, you may need to tap the "System" category first.

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This may say "About phone" or "About tablet."
4
Tap Software version (if necessary). Some Android devices will require you to enter this additional menu to view the Android version.
5
Find your Android version. You'll see the "Android version" entry. The number indicates which version of Android you're using:^{[1]
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- Android 4.4 - 7.1+ - Devices running 4.4 or later can use the Google Keyboard to add emoji. Your device's built-in keyboard likely has an emoji option as well. Character availability and style are determined by your Android version.
- Android 4.3 - You can enable the iWnn IME keyboard to type black-and-white emoji characters. You can also download a third-party keyboard to insert color emoji characters.
- Android 4.1 - 4.2 - You can view certain emoji, but there is no built-in keyboard option. You may be able to use a third-party keyboard to type emoji.
- Android 2.3 and earlier - Your device does not support displaying or typing emoji.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Using Google Keyboard (Android 4.4+)

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The Google Keyboard includes full support for all of the emoji characters that your system can display. Full-color emojis are available for all devices running Android 4.4 (KitKat) or later.^{[2]
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You'll see this at the top of the screen.
If Google Keyboard is not compatible with your device, you can try a different keyboard option.
You'll see the progress in your Notification panel.
You can find the Settings app in your App list. The icon may look like a gear or a set of sliders.
On some devices, you may need to tap the Personal category.
Now that Google Keyboard is enabled, you can use it to insert emoji characters in your messages.
You'll see a pop-up menu appear above your finger, with ☺ as one of the options.
15
Slide your finger over the ☺ (smiley) and release. This will open the emoji list.
- If you don't see the smiley face, your device may not support emoji. You'll need to try another keyboard instead.
This will display the different categories of emoji characters.
Each category has several pages of symbols to choose from.
If you're using Android 7.0 (Nougat) or later, you can press and hold the human emoji characters to select different skin colors. This is not possible if you are using a device with older versions of Android.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Using iWnn IME (Android 4.3)

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If you are using Android 4.3, you can enable a black-and-white emoji keyboard.
This will enable the black-and-white emoji keyboard for your device.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Using Samsung Galaxy Devices (S4 and Newer)

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If you are using a Samsung Galaxy S4, Note 3, or later model, your device's keyboard has emoji support built-in.
2
Press and hold the Gear or Microphone button. You'll find this to the left of the Space bar on the keyboard. On the S4 and S5, it will be a Gear button. On an S6, it will be a Microphone button.
- S7 users can simply tap the ☺ (Smiley Face) button on the keyboard to open the emoji options.
This will switch the keyboard to the emoji input options.
This will let you view the different types of emoji.
Most categories have multiple pages of emoji options.
The emoji will be inserted into your text.
The emoji keyboard will close and the regular keyboard will return.^{[3]
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Question

If I have an iPod Touch 5, how can I get the Samsung or Galaxy emojis?

Community Answer

You probably can't. Check the App store. They have tons of emojis.

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I used to have emojis next to my space bar but now they are gone. How do I get them back?

Community Answer

That means you have more than one keyboard. If you tap the globe button, it cycles through the keyboards, including the emoji one.

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Do all Samsung devices support emojis?

Community Answer

You'll need to be using a Galaxy S4, Note 3, or later device to use emoji. As long as your are running Android 4.4+, you should have full emoji support.

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Since emoji support is dictated by the system, your recipient may not be able to view the emoji you send. For example, if you send a character that was included in the latest Unicode revision to an older device that doesn't support it, they'll just see a blank box.

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Many messaging apps have separate emojis that work just with that app. Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, Hangouts, Snapchat, and many others have emoji support built-in, which will give you access to emojis that your device normally doesn't support.

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Android did not add emoji viewing support until 4.1 (Jelly Bean), and color characters were not added until 4.4 (KitKat). Early versions of Android will not be able to view emoji characters.

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