Emojis have become an integral part of digital communication in the 21st century. The little ideograms convey emotions and ideas that would otherwise take several words to express. However, emoji support varies across platforms, which can cause issues when communicating between iOS and Android devices. If you have an Android phone but communicate with friends who have iPhones, you may have noticed that some emojis like the red heart or laughing emoji with tears come through as black and white symbols or letters on WhatsApp. Luckily, there are a few easy ways to get full iPhone emoji support on WhatsApp for Android.
Why Don’t WhatsApp Android and iPhone Show the Same Emojis?
WhatsApp uses Apple’s emoji designs by default for all users, since it was first developed for iOS. However, on Android, the emoji designs are determined by the phone manufacturer. So Samsung Galaxy phones have different emoji artwork than Pixel phones, for example. WhatsApp for Android converts Apple’s emoji into the closest equivalent Android emoji before displaying them. But if an exact match doesn’t exist, the emoji appears as a black and white symbol or letters instead. This is why some emoji reactions and expressions don’t translate properly between iPhone and Android users on WhatsApp.
Method 1: Install iPhone Emoji Font on Your Android Phone
One of the easiest ways to view iPhone emojis properly on WhatsApp for Android is to install an iPhone emoji font pack. This will replace the default Android emoji designs with Apple’s set. That way, any emoji sent by an iPhone will display correctly. Here are the steps to install an iPhone emoji font on your Android phone:
- Download an iOS emoji font pack – Some good ones to try are iOS Emoji Font for Samsung, iOS 13 Emojis, or EmojiOne iOS. These can be found for free on the Google Play Store.
- Open the font pack app and tap “Install.” This will add the new font files to your phone.
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Font and select the new iPhone emoji font.
Once you set the iPhone emoji font as default in WhatsApp, all emojis sent and received should now display in full color as they appear on iPhones. This method works well overall, but occasionally you may encounter emojis that still appear as black and white symbols if an exact match is not available in the font pack. Also, some users report that using iOS emoji fonts causes strange behavior in other apps on their Android device.
Method 2: Change Region to United States in WhatsApp Settings
Another fix is to change your WhatsApp region to the United States. WhatsApp uses different emoji sets for different regions. The US English set is designed to provide maximum cross-platform compatibility between iOS and Android devices. Here’s how to change regions:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
- Tap Account > Country. Select United States from the list.
- Force close and clear cache of WhatsApp.
- Re-open WhatsApp – all emojis should now display properly.
Switching the region essentially forces WhatsApp to use the emoji set that contains all the standard iOS emoji images. It may take some time for all emoji to switch over after changing regions, but this method usually enables full iPhone emoji support. The only potential downside is that you may see some American English spelling in certain places instead of your usual regional language.
Method 3: Use Third-Party Emoji Apps or Keyboards
If neither custom fonts nor region change work, another option is to use a third-party emoji app or keyboard. These replace the default keyboard and emoji picker of your Android phone with versions that have iOS emoji support. Some top options include:
- Google Gboard – Gboard has options for iPhone emoji built-in. Just enable it in Gboard’s emoji settings.
- SwiftKey – SwiftKey also supports iPhone-style emoji now. Turn it on in SwiftKey’s emoji settings.
- Facemoji – This app has a keyboard with built-in support for iOS emojis.
- Emojidom – Allows you to send text and emoji reactions in iPhone style.
To use one of these apps:
- Download and install the emoji app from the Play Store.
- Set it as the default keyboard app on your Android device.
- Open WhatsApp and tap into any chat. The third-party keyboard with iPhone emoji will appear.
Typing emoji reactions or frequently used expressions like a red heart or thumbs up will automatically send iPhone versions of the emoji. The keyboard swapping method tends to work better than custom fonts in most cases. But some users may not like adjusting to a new keyboard and having to switch back and forth between the default keyboard for other tasks.
Use Zemoji or Emojily Apps to Unlock iPhone Emojis
Two of the best dedicated apps for unlocking iPhone emojis on Android are Zemoji and Emojily. These work differently than keyboards – instead, they act as an emoji translation layer. Here’s how they work:
- Install the Zemoji or Emojily app from the Play Store.
- Make sure WhatsApp is set as your default messaging app.
- As you type into WhatsApp, the app will detect emoji keywords or codes.
- When you hit send, the emoji will be translated and delivered in Apple’s iPhone style.
This approach avoids changing your keyboard or font. The emoji translation happens invisibly in the background. The only catch is that Emojily has a free limited version or $4.99 pro version. But overall, Zemoji and Emojily provide a seamless experience for accessing iPhone emojis on Android.
Use WhatsApp Web on iPhone
If the above methods don’t work or you want a more direct solution, you can simply use WhatsApp Web on an iPhone. Here are the steps:
- On your iPhone, open www.web.whatsapp.com in Safari or Chrome.
- Use your phone’s QR code scanner to link the WhatsApp Web session to your Android device.
- You will see all your Android chats show up on the iPhone screen with iOS emoji.
- When you send a message via WhatsApp Web on the iPhone, it will have iPhone emoji.
This process gives you full native iPhone emoji support for WhatsApp because you are physically sending messages from an iPhone device. The only potential inconvenience is having to use your iPhone with WhatsApp Web open whenever you want to message with emoji. But it’s a reliable option in a pinch if nothing else works.
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some troubleshooting tips if you are still unable to see iPhone emoji properly on your Android device after trying the methods above:
- Make sure WhatsApp is fully updated to the latest version in the Play Store.
- Try force closing and clearing cache of both WhatsApp and Gboard/SwiftKey if using a third party keyboard.
- Double check that iOS emoji font is selected in WhatsApp > Settings > Chats.
- If a font method stopped working, uninstall and reinstall the font file.
- On region change method, set region back to default, force close WhatsApp, then switch to US.
Following these steps can help troubleshoot and resolve persistent issues with missing or black and white emoji appearing incorrectly between iPhone and Android on WhatsApp.
Conclusion
Being able to view iPhone emoji properly on your Android device helps ensure that conversations flow smoothly with iOS users. Installing an iPhone emoji font, switching your WhatsApp region, or using a third-party emoji keyboard/app are the best ways to unlock iPhone emojis on Android. With iOS and Android making up over 99% of smartphones globally, finding cross-platform emoji solutions is becoming more important than ever. Hopefully one of the methods above does the trick for you. But if not, using WhatsApp Web on an iPhone directly is a foolproof last resort. With the right tools, you can save yourself from another blank box or random letter showing up when an iPhone friend sends you an emoji.