How to Get Emoji on Android

Open the Settings menu for your Android., Scroll to the bottom of the Settings menu., Tap About device., Tap Software version (if necessary)., Find your Android version., Open the Play Store., Tap the Google Play search bar.,Type google...

40 Steps 3 min read Advanced

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 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.
  2. Step 2: Scroll to the bottom of the Settings menu.

    On some devices, you may need to tap the "System" category first., This may say "About phone" or "About tablet."

    Some Android devices will require you to enter this additional menu to view the Android version., You'll see the "Android version" entry.

    The number indicates which version of Android you're using:
    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. , 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., 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., 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., 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.,,,,,, If you are using a Samsung Galaxy S4, Note 3, or later model, your device's keyboard has emoji support built-in., 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. Step 3: Tap About device.

  4. Step 4: Tap Software version (if necessary).

  5. Step 5: Find your Android version.

  6. Step 6: Open the Play Store.

  7. Step 7: Tap the Google Play search bar.

  8. Step 8: Type google keyboard.

  9. Step 9: Tap Google Keyboard in the list of results.

  10. Step 10: Tap Install.

  11. Step 11: Tap Accept.

  12. Step 12: Wait for Google Keyboard to install.

  13. Step 13: Open your device's Settings menu.

  14. Step 14: Scroll down to the Personal section.

  15. Step 15: Tap Language & input.

  16. Step 16: Tap Default in the Keyboards & Input Methods section.

  17. Step 17: Tap Google Keyboard.

  18. Step 18: Open an app that uses your keyboard.

  19. Step 19: Press and hold the ↵ (Enter) key.

  20. Step 20: Slide your finger over the ☺ (smiley) and release.

  21. Step 21: Tap a category at the top of the keyboard.

  22. Step 22: Swipe left and right to view more characters.

  23. Step 23: Tap a character to insert it.

  24. Step 24: Press and hold certain emoji to change skin tone (Android 7.0+).

  25. Step 25: Open the device's Settings menu.

  26. Step 26: Scroll down to the Personal section.

  27. Step 27: Tap Language & input.

  28. Step 28: Check the iWnn IME box.

  29. Step 29: Open an app that allows you to type.

  30. Step 30: Press and hold the Space bar on your keyboard.

  31. Step 31: Tap the Category button to change emoji categories.

  32. Step 32: Tap the << and >> buttons to view more pages.

  33. Step 33: Tap an emoji character to insert it.

  34. Step 34: Open an app that uses your keyboard.

  35. Step 35: Press and hold the Gear or Microphone button.

  36. Step 36: Tap the ☺ button in the menu that appears.

  37. Step 37: Tap the categories at the bottom of the keyboard.

  38. Step 38: Swipe left and right to change pages.

  39. Step 39: Tap an emoji to insert it.

  40. Step 40: Tap ABC to return to the keyboard.

Detailed Guide

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., This may say "About phone" or "About tablet."

Some Android devices will require you to enter this additional menu to view the Android version., You'll see the "Android version" entry.

The number indicates which version of Android you're using:
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. , 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., 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., 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., 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.,,,,,, If you are using a Samsung Galaxy S4, Note 3, or later model, your device's keyboard has emoji support built-in., 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.

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