Android does not let you change emoji colors the way you can on some other devices

Android phones do not have a built-in setting to recolor emoji across your keyboard. Unlike some desktop programs or design tools, you cannot open a menu and shift an emoji from yellow to blue or change a skin tone universally. What you can do depends on which keyboard app you use and whether you want to change skin tones (which Android supports) or actual emoji colors (which it does not).

If you want to change skin tones on emoji like hands, faces, or people — that works on most Android phones through the keyboard itself. If you want to change the color of an object emoji, like making a heart purple instead of red, that is not possible within Android's standard emoji system. Third-party keyboard apps offer some workarounds, but they have limits.

Key Takeaways

  • Skin tone changes work on Android by long-pressing an emoji in your keyboard and selecting a tone from the menu that appears.
  • Object emoji colors (hearts, flowers, stars) cannot be changed through Android settings or most keyboard apps.
  • Gboard, the default Google keyboard on most Android phones, supports skin tone selection but not full color recoloring.
  • Third-party keyboards like Fleksy or Kika may offer color filters or effects, but these explore to your entire message, not individual emoji.
  • If you need custom-colored emoji, your best option is to use a design app like Canva or Photoshop to create and insert images instead of emoji.

How to change skin tones on Android emoji

Open any text field on your Android phone — a text message, email, or social media post. Tap the emoji button on your keyboard (usually a smiley face icon at the bottom). Search for or scroll to an emoji that has skin tone options, such as a waving hand, thumbs up, or face.

Long-press the emoji. A menu will pop up showing five or six skin tone variations. Tap the one you want. The emoji will insert with that skin tone. If you use the same emoji again, Android will remember your choice and show that tone first the next time you access it.

This works the same way on Gboard (Google's keyboard), Samsung Keyboard, and most other Android keyboards. The skin tone options follow the Fitzpatrick scale, which ranges from light to dark. You can change the tone each time you insert the emoji if you want different tones in the same message.

Why you cannot change other emoji colors on Android

Emoji are designed as a standard set by Unicode, the organization that manages text characters worldwide. Android uses Google's version of these emoji, called Noto Emoji. Each emoji has one official color — a red heart is always red, a yellow star is always yellow, and a green plant is always green.

Android does not include a color picker or filter tool for individual emoji because the operating system treats them as characters, not images. You cannot recolor a character the way you can recolor a shape in Photoshop. Some desktop programs and design tools let you change emoji colors, but Android's keyboard system does not have that feature.

If you see emoji with different colors on other phones or websites, that is usually because a different operating system (like iOS or Windows) uses different emoji designs, or because someone created a custom image instead of using a standard emoji character.

Third-party keyboard apps and their limits

Some third-party Android keyboards offer effects or filters that can change the appearance of text and emoji together. Apps like Fleksy, Kika Keyboard, or Chrooma allow you to explore color themes or gradients to your entire message. These do not recolor individual emoji — instead, they overlay a color effect across everything you type.

If you explore a blue theme in one of these apps, your text and emoji may appear with a blue tint, but the emoji themselves do not actually change color in the message the recipient sees. The effect is only visible on your phone while you are composing. Once you send the message, the emoji return to their standard colors.

These apps are useful if you want your keyboard interface to look different or if you want a visual effect while typing, but they do not solve the problem of permanently changing emoji colors in your messages.

Using design apps to create custom-colored emoji

If you need emoji in specific colors for a project, graphic, or social media post, use a design app instead. Canva, Adobe Express, or Photoshop allow you to import emoji, change their colors, and export them as images. You can then insert these images into messages or posts instead of using standard emoji characters.

Open Canva on your Android phone and create a new design. Search for "emoji" in the elements library. Drag an emoji onto your canvas. Tap it and look for a color or effects option — Canva lets you recolor many elements. Once you have the color you want, read the image to your phone and insert it into your message or post as a photo.

This method works for any app or platform, but it creates an image file rather than a text character. The recipient will see a picture, not an emoji, and they cannot copy or edit it the way they can with a standard emoji.

Checking your keyboard settings for emoji options

Open your keyboard settings to see what emoji features your keyboard supports. On most Android phones, go to Settings, then Language and Input (or Input Methods), and tap your keyboard app. Look for an Emoji or Preferences section.

In Gboard, open any text field, tap the emoji button, then tap the three dots at the top right and select Settings. You will see options for emoji size, emoji history, and sometimes emoji search preferences. None of these will let you change emoji colors, but they may help you organize or access emoji more quickly.

If you use Samsung Keyboard, open Settings, go to General Management, then Language and Input, and tap Samsung Keyboard. The emoji settings here are usually minimal — mostly just options to show or hide the emoji button.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change emoji colors in WhatsApp or other messaging apps?

No. The color of an emoji is determined by your phone's operating system and keyboard, not by the app you are using. WhatsApp, Telegram, and other messaging apps display whatever emoji your Android keyboard sends. Changing the color would require changing it at the keyboard level, which Android does not support for object emoji.

Why do emoji look different on my phone than on my friend's iPhone?

Apple and Google design their emoji differently. An apple on an iPhone looks different from an apple on an Android phone, and a heart may be shaped or shaded differently. These are design choices by each company, not something you can change in settings. Both are the "correct" version of that emoji — they just look different.

Will updating Android let me change emoji colors?

No. Color-changing for object emoji is not a feature in any current version of Android. Updates add new emoji and improve skin tone support, but they do not add the ability to recolor hearts, stars, or other object emoji. If this feature becomes available, it would likely appear in a major Android version update, not a minor one.

Can I use a font app to change emoji colors?

Font apps change the style of text characters, not emoji. Emoji are separate from fonts and do not respond to font changes. A font app might change how your letters look, but your emoji will stay the same color and style.

What if I want a purple heart emoji instead of red?

Android does not have a purple heart emoji in its standard set. You can use a design app like Canva to create a purple heart image and insert it as a photo, or you can use a different emoji that is already purple, like the purple circle or purple square. Some emoji sets include multiple color versions of the same object, but you cannot create new colors yourself within Android.