Emojis. If you’re old like me, you remember when they were referred to as “emoticons.” And if you’re old like me, you remember how weird it was when we didn’t have happy faces to express our emotions digitally.
One of my favorite emojis is undoubtedly the heart emoji. I’m a big fan of the black one, but I have a healthy love for the classic red. However, did you know that there might be some actual meaning behind those emoji colors? I know, I was shocked, too!
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Okay, let’s get this out of the way:
We deserve a pink heart emoji. A REAL pink heart emoji. Not the weird triple pink heart, or the heart with stars. We deserve an honest-to-god pink heart emoji to go with the rest of them. I will die on this hill.
Oh, and this doesn’t take into account personal taste.
Aesthetically, my favorite colors are pink and black. So naturally, I use pink and black emojis. Each of the emoji hearts featured here may have meanings, but peoples use for them are wide-ranging. Most of it comes down to your favorite color preference!
❤️ Let’s start with red. ❤️
Cosmo has some theories.
According to them, this is the most basic — yet most romantic — heart of them all.
And, according to Emojipedia’s research, it was the most used heart on Twitter for all of 2020. She’s popular!
(According to John Mayer, it’s too feminine…excuse me if I ignore John Mayer’s emoji opinions.)
Orange has a bad reputation.
According to Cosmo, orange is the “coward’s red heart.” For those who want to send a red heart, but want to keep whoever is on the other end of the text in a more casual relationship position.
Orange was added to the emoji board in order to complete the heart emoji rainbow.
Yellow is for more familial love.
Cosmo says this heart is for familial or platonic relationships. Send it to your mom, sibling, or bestie with no fear of miscommunication.
Yellow, like orange, is most used alongside other hearts to create a rainbow. I think it has spring vibes!
Green is the low-stakes emoji.
This emoji has very little emotional impact behind it. Cosmo calls it “A braggart’s heart,” meaning it’s basically tacked on the end of texts that don’t mean a lot.
I like to think of it as a more on-brand way for the Hulk to send love, you know?
Blue is for bros.
Not because blue is a gendered color, Cosmo says, but because it’s a casual friendship heart. It’s low-stakes, almost shallow. That’s some harsh meaning, man!
According to Emojipedia, brands love the blue heart. Blue is the color of corporate, apparently.
Yikes.
Purple is for passion.
To put it simply: purple is the heart that signals you’re in the mood for love, if you know what I mean…
I KNOW. I didn’t know that, either! I’m guessing it has to do with it sharing a shade with the eggplant emoji. And if you’re not sure what that means… I don’t know if I can help you.
Black hearts are for hot girls.
Okay, I’m just saying that because it’s my go-to heart. The black heart is for someone who is down bad for whoever they’re texting. We’re talking someone so into their partner that the red or purple hearts simply do not cut it.
It’s also for hot girls.
White hearts are for aesthetics.
This is a truly neutral heart. It doesn’t communicate anything emotional, and can even come off as sterile. This is the perfect heart for an aesthetic Instagram caption, for instance.
White heart screams Apple to me, actually.
Brown is for BIPOC.
This color is used the most often in relation to discussions about skin tone! It signifies pride, solidarity, and love for black or brown skin. This is most often used by BIPOC people themselves.
So, what do you think about the emojis and their meanings? Which is your favorite? Let me know!
