What Does the OBJ () Emoji Mean?

Co-authored by Krysten Jackson Reviewed by Anyah Le Gilmore-Jones

Last Updated: October 28, 2024 Fact Checked

While browsing Facebook, Snapchat, or other social media, you may have come across a dashed box with the capital letters OBJ inside and wondered what exactly it was. Is it a new emoji, slang, or a glitch? In this article, we’ll take a look at what exactly this symbol is, why it pops up, and how to change it. Read on to learn more about OBJ ()!

What OBJ Means in Text

OBJ () is a Unicode replacement character that appears when an emoji isn't recognized. Unicode, a code converter used by computers, might show an OBJ error when the system is outdated, new emojis have been created, data has been corrupted, or if iPhone's voice-to-text feature has glitched.

Section 1 of 3:

What is the OBJ () emoji?

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OBJ () is not an emoji itself, but rather a replacement character found in the Unicode system. Used by most computers, Unicode maps letters and symbols, including emojis, to short lines of code. This way, characters can be represented from device to device, in different fonts, and in different applications with few errors.^{[1]
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Although Unicode covers thousands of characters, it still has gaps, especially when it comes to the frequently updated emoji keyboard. When Unicode can’t recognize an object, your phone or computer will return the object replacement character: OBJ ().^{[2]
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Why are you seeing an OBJ () character error?

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Most devices use more recent versions of Unicode. However, some apps may be behind on updates and not support characters added later. On the other hand, some software may create their own characters outside of Unicode or not use Unicode entirely, which will also return the OBJ () error on incompatible devices.^{[3]
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New emojis may be added before you get the proper Unicode updates. If you suddenly see more replacement characters where you think emojis should be, there has likely been an update added to keyboards everywhere.^{[4]
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iPhones use a speech recognizer tool that turns bites of speech into objects before changing them to text. Sometimes, this tool is not completely compatible with other software, which may see the speech objects but not know what word or letter to match them with. As a result, it returns the OBJ () placeholder instead.^{[5]
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Sometimes when documents are transferred, data becomes corrupted and can’t be read. The unreadable symbols will be shown with replacement characters.^{[6]
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How to Fix the OBJ () Character Error

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Most likely, the software your phone or computer runs on has just gotten a little outdated. Go to your settings and check for system updates. Once all downloaded, you can browse OBJ () free.^{[7]
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If OBJ () characters are only showing up in one application, that app may be behind on updates or experiencing a temporary glitch. Head to the App Store, the Google Play Store, or the application website and check for updates. If available, install the latest development.
Because so much communication these days happens on the internet, keeping your computer’s browser up to date is important. If you start to notice OBJ () errors while you browse, check for and install updates when necessary.
Some devices don’t come with compatible emoji keyboards. If you find yourself in this situation, search for an app with an emoji library you can then install and use on your phone or computer. The correct library will let you see what emoji people send you and let you send your own.^{[8]
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