How to change emoji on Android: from standard methods to custom solutions

Emojis have become an integral part of communication in instant messengers and social networks, but standard emoticons on Android are not always suitable for users. Outdated design, lack of new symbols, or simply a desire to stand out - the reasons can be different. Fortunately, you can change the emoji on Android in several ways: from simple applications to deep modification of the system.

In this article we will analyze all current methods - from safe (suitable even for beginners) to advanced (require rootrights). You will learn how to update emoji to the latest version, set the style from iOS or Samsung, and also return standard emoticons if something goes wrong. Important: some methods may lead to malfunctions of the keyboard or system applicationsso make a backup copy of your data before making changes.

Why do emojis on Android look different?

The appearance of emoji depends on three key factors:

• 📱 Android version: Each new OS version brings updated emoticons. For example, in Android 12 a design appeared Material You, and in Android 14 more voluminous and detailed symbols.
• 🏭 Device manufacturer: Samsung, Xiaomi, Google and other brands use their own sets of emoji. For example, emoticons on Galaxy are very different from the standard ones Google.
• ⌨️ Keyboard: Applications like Gboard, SwiftKey or Samsung Keyboard can load their own versions of emoji, even if the system ones remain the same.

If you don't like the current style, first check to see if it's something to do with the keyboard. For example, in Gboard you can enable the display of emoji in the iOS style (more on this in the next section). If the problem is with system emoticons, you will have to use more radical methods.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI (for example, Redmi or Poco) system emoji are often tied to the firmware. Replacing them without rootrights can lead to errors in messengers.

Method 1: Change emoji through the keyboard (without root)

The simplest and safest method is to change the emoji style in the keyboard settings. Most popular keyboards (for example, Gboard or SwiftKey) support alternative sets of emoticons.

Instructions for Gboard:

1. Open any text input field (for example, in WhatsApp or Telegram).
2. Tap the ⚙️ (gear) icon on the keyboard to open the settings.
3. Go to the section Themes → Emoji.
4. Select one of the available styles: Google (default), iOS, Samsung or Twitter.

Please note: this method changes the emoji Only in the keyboard itself. In other applications (for example, in the browser or system notifications), the emoticons will remain the same. Also, some styles (for example, iOS) may be displayed. incorrectly for recipients on other platforms.

Update Gboard to the latest version on Google Play

Check if your keyboard supports alternative emoji styles

Take a screenshot of your current keyboard settings (in case reset)

Reboot the device after changing the style-->

Method 2: Install a custom keyboard with other emoji

If your current keyboard does not support changing the emoji style, you can install a third-party application. Some keyboards specialize in alternative ones. emoticons.

Top 3 keyboards for replacing emoji:

• 🎨 Emoji Keyboard —offers more than 3,000 custom emoticons, including animated ones. Supports styles iOS 16, Samsung One UI and Discord.
• 📱 Fleksy —allows you to customize the appearance of emoji through extensions. style Twitter (X).
• 🔄 Chroom is an open-source keyboard that supports custom emoji sets (you can upload files .ttf manually).

How to install:

1. Download the selected keyboard from Google Play.
2. Activate it in system settings: Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
3. In the settings of the new keyboard, find the Emoji section and select the style you like.

⚠️ Attention: Third-party keyboards may collect data about your input. Before installation, check the application permissions and privacy policy.

Standard Android (Google)

iOS (Apple)

Samsung One UI

Twitter (X)

Other (write in the comments)-->

Method 3: Update system emoji via Magisk (for root)

If you need to change emoji at the system level (for them to be displayed everywhere, including the browser and notifications), you will need root-rights and a module Magisk. This method is suitable for advanced users.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Install Magisk Manager and get root-access (if not already done).
2. Download the module for replacing emoji Popular options:
   • iOS Emoji -ported emoticons from the latest one. versions iOS.
   • Samsung Emoji —a set of One UI 5/6.
   • Google Emoji (Beta) —test versions of future updates.

1. Open Magisk Manager.
2 Click "Modules" → "Install from". storage."
3. Find the required module (for example, "iOS 16.4 Emoji") and install it.
4. Reboot the device.

After the reboot, the system emoji will change. Check the result in any messenger or browser (for example, open Emojipedia v Chrome).

Method 4: Manual editing of system fonts (for advanced)

If modules Magisk are not suitable or you want to install your own set of emoji, you can replace system fonts manually. This method requires knowledge of working with ADB and backup.

What you will need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📁 Font file with emoji in format .ttf (for example, NotoColorEmoji.ttf for style Google or AppleColorEmoji.ttf for iOS).
• 🔧 Root-access and unlocked bootloader.

Instructions:

1. Download the desired font (for example, from GitHub Noto Emoji) and rename it to NotoColorEmoji.ttf.
2. Connect the phone to the PC and run the commands:

   adb shell
   su
   mount -o rw,remount /system
   cp /sdcard/NotoColorEmoji.ttf /system/fonts/
   chmod 644 /system/fonts/NotoColorEmoji.ttf
   reboot

3. After reboot, check the display of emoji.

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect replacement of system fonts can lead to bootloop (loop reboot). Always make a backup of the partition /system/fonts/ before making changes.

This will allow you to quickly restore. them if something goes wrong.-->

Method 5: Use applications to replace emoji without root

If you do not want to obtain rootrights, but need a system replacement of emoji, you can use specialized applications. They work on the principle of display interception. emoticons.

Best applications:

• 🔄 Emoji Changer —replaces emoji in all applications via overlay. Supports styles iOS, Samsung, Twitter and Facebook.
• 🎭 Emoji Switcher —allows you to switch between different sets of emoticons without rebooting.
• 🖼️ Textra SMS —a messenger with support for custom emoji (suitable if you need to change emoticons only in SMS).

How it works Emoji Changer:

1. Install the application from Google Play.
2. Grant permission to display on top of other windows (Settings → Accessibility → Emoji Changer).
3. Select the emoji style in the application settings.
4. Activate overlay mode (the application icon will appear in the notification panel).

Disadvantages of this method:

• Not all applications support overlay (for example, in Instagram emoji may not change).
• There may be lags when entering text.
• The application must run in the background, which increases battery consumption.

How to return standard emoji if something went wrong

If after the changes, emoji are displayed incorrectly (in squares, hieroglyphs or completely disappeared), use one of the rollback methods:

For keyboards and applications:

• 🔙 Reset the keyboard settings to standard (Settings → System → Language and input → [Your keyboard] → Reset).
• 🗑️ Remove the third-party keyboard or emoji replacement app.
• 🔄 Reinstall the keyboard (for example, Gboard) from Google Play.

For system changes (from root):

• 📦 Magisk disable or remove the module responsible for emoji.
• 🖥️ If you replaced the fonts manually, restore the original files from the backup:

  adb push NotoColorEmoji.ttf /system/fonts/
  adb shell chmod 644 /system/fonts/NotoColorEmoji.ttf

• 🔧 As a last resort, reset the settings (Settings → System → Reset settings), but this will delete all data from the device.

⚠️ Attention: On some devices (for example, Huawei or Oppo) resetting the settings may not return the original emoji due to the peculiarities of the firmware. In this case, only flashing it will help.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about replacing emoji on Android