The Complete Guide to Emojis
Discover the fascinating world of emojis - from their Japanese origins to becoming a global language used by billions of people every day.
What Are Emojis?
The building blocks of modern digital communication
Emojis are small pictorial icons that represent emotions, objects, ideas, activities, and concepts in digital communication. From simple expressions like 😊 to elaborate symbols like 🏞, they add color, emotion, and clarity to our messages.
Created in 1999 by Shigetaka Kurita in Japan, emojis have evolved from 176 simple pixelated icons to over 3,800 standardized symbols recognized globally. The Unicode Consortium ensures emojis appear consistently across all devices and platforms.
Why Emojis Matter
The impact of visual communication in the digital age
Emotional Context
Add tone and emotion to text messages
Faster Communication
Convey complex ideas quickly and efficiently
Engagement Boost
Increase social media interaction by 48%
Universal Language
Break down language barriers globally
Most Popular Emojis
The top-used emojis worldwide in 2025
Quick Actions
Explore, learn, and have fun with emojis
Emoji Categories
Smileys & Emotion
168 emojis
People & Body
2,845 emojis
Animals & Nature
154 emojis
Food & Drink
135 emojis
Activities
85 emojis
Travel & Places
186 emojis
Fun Facts
Born in Japan
Emoji combines Japanese words for picture (絵) and character (文字)
World Emoji Day
Celebrated on July 17th every year since 2014
3,800+ Emojis
Over 3,800 emojis are available in Unicode standard
Oxford Word of Year
😂 was Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year in 2015
Most Popular Emoji
Face with tears of joy is the most used emoji worldwide
Universal Understanding
92% of online users worldwide use emojis regularly
Mobile Revolution
First emojis were only 12x12 pixels on early mobile phones