Since the dawn of time, new relationships have been full of questions. Does she like me back? Is he the one? ...What do the different color heart emojis mean when he texts me? Alright, well maybe some questions are newer than others.
We should be thanking our lucky stars that modern technology has made dating easier.
Sure, there’s no more courtship rules, delivering handwritten letters, or waiting by a telephone for their call, but that doesn’t mean dating doesn’t have new obstacles to replace the old ones.
RELATED: If You Use These 13 Flirty Emojis, Here's What You're Telling Him
Emojis have created a whole new love language that makes reading between the lines even more complicated. It’s hard enough having to overanalyze every last word of a text, and now we’re expected to know what different colored hearts are saying to us?
While we wish we could just jump inside our crush's head to figure out what exactly they were thinking when they hit that emoji, even the newest iPhone update hasn’t given us that ability just yet.
For now, all we can do is wonder and come up with what each heart symbol and emoji means, what it’s used for, and when to avoid it.
Different Color Heart Emoji Meanings
Red Heart
The red heart emoji has been around since before emojis came along to complicate things. Its meaning is clear: Love, true love.
Red hearts are traditional and well-meaning, but theyare a little boring. If you’re dating someone new and they send you this emoji for the first time, it’s a big statement; in long-term relationships, spicing things up starts with the right emojis.
It’s not an emoji you want to throw out to just anyone, nor is it one to overuse. Keep this for special people and special occasions.
Use for: New lovers and old friends
Don’t use for: First dates
Orange Heart
Orange is most often associated with warmth and light. This heart signifies serenity and comfort, making it great for friends who are in need of support.
But given that this is a comforting color, the orange heart emoji is often used by non-committal types who are getting a little too comfortable with you, but are too scared to take it to the next level.
The orange heart is located suspiciously close to the red one, so it could be a sign of someone who has hesitant fingers when it comes to expressing love.
Use for: Sending encouragement and support to friends
Don’t use for: Complicated situationships
Yellow Heart
On Snapchat, the yellow heart emoji appears beside the name of the person you snap most. This just about sums it up.
If you’re receiving this emoji from a friend, you two are close besties who are constantly in touch. If it’s from a love interest, you guys need to cut the crap, ditch the cyber relationship, and move things forward in real life.
This is a gentle, soft emoji, and if that’s what you want from your relationship, keep sending that yellow heart. (Personally, I’d rather see these emoji coming from my grandmother than my crush!)
Use for: Family members, best friends, and during the “figuring it out” stage
Don’t use for: Anyone with whom you want to stir up passion
Green Heart
Green is the color of envy, making this heart the emoji equivalent of smiling on the outside but seething with jealousy on the inside.
The green heart emoji is the kind of heart you leave as a comment when the guy you’re crushing on puts up a cozy picture of him and the girl he’s been assuring you is “just a friend.”
It does also radiate clean energy, so it’s possible the person sending you this emoji only eats organic food and recycles a lot.
Use for: Deliberately passive-aggressive comments; inviting friends to come to the farmer’s market with you
Don’t use for: Trying to look like you don’t care; posting pictures of plastic straws and disposable coffee cups
Blue Heart
Ever had one of those awkward encounters with someone you’re crushing on where you go in for a hug but it turns out they were just trying to give you a high-five? That’s what the blue heart emoji means.
Blue is the color of trust, so it’s not entirely bad. Using the blue heart emoji means they appreciate your loyalty, but they definitely don’t intend on ripping your clothes off anytime soon.
Use for: People you want close to you... but not that close
Don’t use for: Someone you want to trust you back
RELATED: 15 Different Ways To Say 'I Love You' Using Only Emojis
Purple Heart
Purple emojis should have their own category. The purple devil, this heart, the eggplant emoji — they all mean one thing and it has nothing to do with true love.
The purple heart emoji is for late-night texts when there’s only one thing on your mind. They’re usually preceded by “You up?” or “Come over.” This heart basically means take it all off.
Use for: Friends with benefits
Don’t use for: Anyone you want to introduce to your parents
Black Heart
The black heart emoji is often used ironically or by someone with a twisted sense of humor.
It radiates Scorpio energy, which is dark and chaotic. It’s basically saying, “I could fall in love with you... or ruin your life, depending on how I feel.”
If you send this to someone who gets your humor, it will be appreciated. If sent to anyone else, they might call the police.
Use for: Your twin flame or best friend
Don’t use for: Someone you don’t want to scare off
White Heart
White is supposed to represent purity and innocence, like a virgin wearing white on her wedding day.
If you subscribe to these outdated concepts, the white heart emoji is all yours. It’s well-meaning but kind of bland.
As the brown emoji is becoming increasingly popular to celebrate POC love, using the white emoji could be perceived negatively if you’re not careful. Plus, the white heart is basically transparent and can’t be seen in tweets, so what is the point of it, honestly?
Use for: Captioning a photo of a newborn
Don’t use for: Social justice activism
Brown Heart
Celebrations of Black love, Black joy, and solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement are often accompanied by this heart.
That’s not to say it’s reserved exclusively for this context, since anyone considered to be BIPOC is free to use this emoji in any context they please.
For non-BIPOC, this emoji could be likened to digital blackface, so it’s best to avoid any misuse. Even if you’re just trying to show solidarity with other races and ethnicities, you can do so using any other color heart emoji.
Use for: BIPOC can use this however they please
Don’t use for: Allying BIPOC
Broken Heart
You could use the broken heart emoji to express actual heartbreak, but this emoji is best used ironically.
Using this in any serious context is the digital equivalent of that time Demi Lovato’s ex, Max Ehrich, clearly staged those paparazzi photos of him crying on the beach where he’d proposed after Demi had dumped him. It’s cringey and kind of embarrassing.
If someone has actually broken your heart, maybe try speaking to them in real life instead of blasting this emoji all over social media.
Use for: Jokingly giving someone a hard time by pretending to be more upset than you are
Don’t use for: Actual heartbreak
Red Heart Exclamation Mark
Cute and casual, the red heart exclamation point emoji is just right for new relationships when “I love you” hasn’t been said yet.
You know when you’re at that stage where you want to say it, but you don’t want to be the first one to say it? That’s where this emoji comes in.
It’s for that giddy honeymoon stage before you’re ready for the full red heart.
Use for: Making plans with a new lover
Don’t use for: Serious conversations
Two Pink Hearts
These two are the ultimate duo. Whether you’re getting these from a lover or a friend, they’re telling you they want you close.
The two pink hearts emoji is cute and mini, so they don’t carry the same intensity as some of the bigger heart emojis yet still show love.
Use for: Closest friends and flirty texts
Don’t use for: Someone you’re not close to
RELATED: How To Tell If A Girl Likes You Over Text
Two Pink Circling Hearts
The two pink circling hearts kind of look like the two pink hearts from above reaching out for a hug, making it more intimate than the two hearts.
It’s kind of a step up from the friend stage. You’re kissing at parties and having late-night calls, but if anyone asks, you two are “just friends.”
Use for: Friends with benefits, future boyfriends/girlfriends
Don’t use for: Someone you’re about to dump
Beating Heart
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Be still, my beating heart! If you’ve received the beating heart emoji, someone is really putting themselves out there for you.
They’re literally showing you that you make their heart pound. Could they make it any clearer?
Use for: Confessions of love
Don’t use for: Anyone you’re not crushing on
Pulsating Heart
Commitment-phobes use the pulsating heart emoji to subtly tell people their icy heart is melting and they’re ready for love.
Of course, they don’t want to wear their heart on their sleeve and actually say this so, instead, they’ll send one of these hearts your way and hope you do the figuring out.
Just like when the Grinch stopped being a buzzkill and his heart grew three sizes, anyone sending you this emoji is clearly having a change of heart.
Use for: Letting your guard down
Don’t use for: A substitute for words — just say how you feel
Sparkling Heart
The heart with stars, also known as the sparkling heartemoji, says, “You’re great.” Don’t read too much into this because you’ll only be disappointed.
It’s definitely a heartfelt sentiment, but it’s not exactly a confession of love.
Use for: Showing appreciation
Don’t use for: Flirting
Heart with Arrow
Outside of Valentine's Day, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use the heart with an arrow emoji, which means we have no choice but to jump to conclusions about it when someone does.
They’ve been struck by Cupid and have got it bad for you.
Use for: Valentine's Day; spicing thing up in a long-term relationship
Don’t use for: Platonic relationships
Heart with Ribbon
My heart is yours! Anyone sending you the heart with a ribbon emoji is literally gifting their heart to you. Take care of it.
There’s nothing half-hearted about this.
Use for: Your one true love
Don’t use for: Someone who only texts you late at night with purple emojis
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Alice Kelly is a senior news and entertainment editor for YourTango. Based out of Brooklyn, New York, her work covers all things social justice, pop culture, and human interest. Keep up with her on Twitter for more.
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FAQs
What does 💙 mean in texting? ›
The Blue Heart emoji 💙 depicts a classic representation of heart, colored blue. It can be used to express love, support, admiration, happiness, and excitement—particularly toward various things that have some relation to the color blue, from the Smurfs to Duke University to autism awareness.
What does 💜 mean in texting? ›It is commonly used to represent love, support, close bonds, and admiration for things that have some relation to the color purple. The Purple Heart emoji 💜 is specifically used in reference to the Purple Heart medal awarded by the U.S. Armed Forces and frequently used by the fandom of the Kpop boy band BTS.
What does 💛 mean in texting? ›The yellow heart emoji, 💛, can convey love, just like any other heart symbol or emoji, but its yellow color often gets used to show liking and friendship (as opposed to romantic love). Its color also works with expressions of happiness—and with all things yellow, from sports team colors to dresses.
What do different color hearts mean in text? ›Two static pink hearts — New relationship, flirty DM slides. Green Heart — good for acquaintances, junior varsity friends. Blue heart — use in group chats when you have nothing to add, texting parents and random people. Purple heart — a friends with benefits situation. Orange heart — good to use with 'situationships'
What does 🖤 mean in texting? ›🖤 Black Heart emoji
It can mean you are feeling emo, have a dark twisted soul, morbid sense of humor, or just love sad stuff. However, and much more seriously, the emoji has become increasingly used to express support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The two hearts emoji is used frequently in text messages relating to love. While it is a symbol of romantic love, it can also be used to show affection for other close relationships, such as with family and friends (e.g., I 💕 to the moon and back).
What does 💗 mean? ›The growing heart emoji, 💗, shows a pink or red heart surrounded by the outlines of several slightly lighter-colored hearts of increasing size, which suggests that the heart is expanding. It's used to express outpourings of emotions like love, joy, affection, pride, and even sorrow.
What does 👈 mean in texting? ›The majority of people agree that it means 'shy'. As if you were twiddling your fingers together, nervously. The emojis can often be paired with the emoji too, for extra nervous vibes.
What does 3 hearts mean in texting? ›<3. and heart emoji can be used to express love or affection for a person or fondness for some event or content.
What does 🕊 emoji mean? ›Emoji Meaning
A dove carrying an olive branch, a symbol of peace in Western and Judeo-Christian culture. Depicted as a white bird in full profile facing left, flying as it holds a green sprig in its beak. Commonly used to represent such sentiments as peace, love, hope, and reconciliation.
What does 💖 mean from a girl? ›
What Does 💖 Mean From A Girl. For girls, the sparkling heart emoji 💖 can be used in many different ways. It is often used as a way to express love and admiration for someone, whether it be for family, friends, or significant others.
What does 4 dots mean in texting from a girl? ›Unlike the three-dot disappearing act seen while texting, where the implication is that the conversation is still going, the four dots in a text message is similar to NRN and EOD, which indicates "no reply needed" and it's the "end of discussion." The first three dots are an ellipsis (…) and the fourth dot is a full ...
What does 💚 mean from a girl? ›The 💚 evokes caring and platonic loving feelings.
You'll often see a 💚 used when expressing a platonic love for a friend or acquaintance. Try adding this green heart to a heart-warming message to tell a friend, “I care about you.” “You're the bestest friend a girl could ask for 💚”
Yep! The Blue Heart emoji is the unofficial Friendzone emoji. So if your crush sends you 💙, it means you have been friend-zoned.
What does 🧡 🖤 mean on TikTok? ›Whilst talking about 'the hub' on TikTok, people often also use two black and orange emojis. This could be hearts, circles or squares, like this: “🖤🧡”, “⚫️ ”, ” ⬛️ ”. This is another secret way of referring to Pornhub, as orange and black are the two colours in the adult site's logo.
What is the meaning of 🤟? ›What does 🤟 I Love You Gesture emoji mean? A universal emoji! Or … is it? The love-you gesture or I love you hand sign emoji is the American Sign Language gesture for “I love you,” showing a hand with a raised index finger and pinky (little) finger and an extended thumb.
What is the meaning of 5201314? ›520 is not the only way to communicate in Mandarin, you can also take note of another expression 5201314! 520 means love, whereas 1314 represents 一生一世 yīshēng yīshì (for a lifetime). So, if you say 5201314, you are saying “I love you for a lifetime”.
What does OFC stand for? ›(Internet slang, text messaging) Abbreviation of of course.
What does this symbol means (~)? ›In informal writing, a tilde is sometimes used before a number to mean “about” or “approximately.” For example, a sentence that reads I think my dog weighs ~20 pounds means I think my dog weighs about/around 20 pounds. This usage is likely based on the math usage of the tilde symbol to mean an approximate equivalency.
What is the signification of 🍆 🍑 💦? ›👅🍭 means "lick." 👅🌮💦 and 👅🍆💦 both mean "let's have oral sex."
What does 💞 mean in texting? ›
Revolving hearts emoji 💞 is used to reflect overwhelming, dizzying feelings of love, joy, or affection. uscameron.
What does 💓 emoji mean? ›💓 Beating Heart emoji
Depicting a pulsing pink or red heart symbol, the beating heart emoji is used as an intensive form of the red heart emoji ❤️, expressing passionate love, happiness, excitement, and even obsession. It can also be used to convey ideas or feelings of health, vitality, and life.
Pair 👅 with other emojis like 🍆 (eggplant), 🍑 (peach), 🌮 (taco), and 💦 (sweat droplets) to make it clear that you're referencing oral sex with your partner.
What does 🖖 mean in texting? ›What does 🖖 Vulcan Salute emoji mean? Live long and prosper, friends! If you ever need to spread the love to your geekier friends, then flash a 🖖. The Vulcan salute emoji, 🖖, is perfect for showing your Star Trek cred or sci-fi pride more generally.
What does 👀 mean from a guy? ›It mostly serves to draw attention to something the user wants to highlight, especially in situations that involve drama and interpersonal tension. It can also be an emoji representation of shifty eyes or the action of side-eyeing. This emoji sometimes appears when someone finds a person attractive.
What is the meaning of 3 💕? ›The emoticon <3. means "Love" or "I Love You." The characters < and 3 (which together mean "less than three") form a picture of a heart on its side and are used as an emoticon, meaning "love" or "I love you." For example: Sam: <3. Takedown request | View complete answer on cyberdefinitions.com.
What does the white ❤ mean in texting? › White Heart emoji
The White Heart emoji depicts a classic representation of a heart, colored white or gray. It is commonly used to represent love, support, close bonds, and admiration for things that have some relation to the color white, such as white-colored clothing or animals.
To say you love someone.
Tell your partner, friend, or relative just how much you care for them with a 💕. This also shows that you know they love you too.
😘 Face Throwing a Kiss emoji
The winky-kissy face throwing a kiss emoji, or kissing face, is mostly used to express romantic affection or appreciation for someone or something.
A 💦 (sweat drop) emoji can mean someone's “thirsty," or attracted to you. “Ugh! That selfie is too much. 😍 My thirst is so real. 💦”
What does 👅 🍆 mean from a guy? ›
People send this emoji to flirt over text or even try some sexting—if you see 👅 in a steamy text from your date or significant other, they're referring to oral sex. Takedown request | View complete answer on wikihow.com.
What does 😇 mean in text from a girl? ›The 😇 (angel) emoji may mean someone is flirting with you.
If someone is hitting on you on Snapchat or texting you flirty messages, they may add this emoji to show how sweet and angelic they find you. Alternatively, they may use the emoji to playfully deny their message's more suggestive meaning. "You're so pretty.
Something sexual is going on. In sexting, a 🌚 is often used to show mystery. This shifty-eyed emoji asks if starting a sexy text conversation is okay. It can also be used to show sexual interest.
What does the Brown ❤ mean from a girl? ›Like the many other heart emoji such as Red Heart ❤️ and Blue Heart 💙, the Brown Heart emoji can be used to convey love and other strong, affectionate, positive feelings.
What does B mean in texting to a girl? ›What does B mean in texting a girl? “B” typically stands for “babe or baby,” which is a slang term for a significant other, girlfriend or boyfriend. It can also mean “bestie,” which is a slang term for a close friend.
What does it mean when a girl puts 3 dots after a sentence? ›An ellipsis might mean, “Well this is awkward.” Those 3 dots are often used by people to express that something is awkward or uncomfortable, without actually saying so. It indicates that they think the conversation has veered into uneasy territory, and they might not feel confident enough to address it explicitly.
What are the 3 dots after I send a text? ›What are the 3 dots on Android? The introduction of the 3 dots, or “contextual menu” is to signify that there are more options available, however these options/menu change based on the steps or options the user is experiencing in a UI.
What does 🖇 mean in relationship? ›The Couple With Heart emoji 💑 depicts the heads of two, gender-neutral people with a classic heart between them. It is commonly used to represent love, romance, dating, couples, and relationships more generally.
What does it mean when a girl sends 🧡? ›The 🧡 emoji says, “We're friends!” This orange-filled heart is the universal symbol for care and friendship. If your crush sends you an 🧡 emoji, they may be friend-zoning you. If a friend sends you an 🧡 emoji, you're likely BFFs. “You're my person 🧡”
What does this emoji mean 🖇? ›Emoji Meaning
Occasionally used to represent school/office supplies or metaphorical connections. Also sometimes used as an icon before a hyperlink. Not to be confused with 🔗 Link or ⛓️ Chains. Linked Paperclips was approved as part of Unicode 7.0 in 2014 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015.
How can I tell if I'm friendzoned? ›
- They Seem Extremely Comfortable Around You.
- They Tell You About People They Like.
- They Treat You As A Supportive Shoulder To Lean On.
- They Never Do What You Want.
- They Try To Set You Up With Other People.
The term friendzone can be verbified, as in the sentence "So, she's friend-zoned you." It is described as “[a] situation in which a friendship exists between two people, one of whom has an unreciprocated romantic or sexual interest in the other." Although the term is apparently gender-neutral, the friend zone is often ...
How do I know if I'm being friendzoned? ›Talks to you about other people he/she likes
You keep trying to impress him/her, but if he/she still talks more about his/her crush, then take a sign that you have been friendzoned. This is a transparent way of saying that what you have is just friendship and he/she is interested in someone else.
An ellipsis ( ... ) consists of three evenly spaced periods and is used to indicate the omission of words or suggest an incomplete thought.
What does 3 :) mean in texting? ›:3 is an emoticon which represents a coy smile. The emoticon :3 is used in texting and online chat to indicate a coy smile. Takedown request | View complete answer on cyberdefinitions.com.
What does text symbols mean? ›The definition of a text symbol is a graphic or symbol made with the keys on a keyboard. An example of a text symbol is the heart symbol which is made by pressing "Alt" and the number "3" on an enabled numeric key pad.
What do two up arrows mean? ›4. Upward Arrows. The image of two upward arrows above a box indicates, “This way up.” For the duration of shipping/delivery, the carton should face upright.
Why do guys use ellipses? ›He said he uses ellipses mainly because they help him feel as though he's engaged in a more dynamic written conversation—with the ellipses serving mostly as intentional, meaningful pauses. “It's largely a preference for what seems like a more dramatic way of presenting something,” he says.
What do 3 dots mean after a sentence? ›An ellipsis, or ellipses in the plural form, is a punctuation mark of three dots (. . .) that shows an omission of words, represents a pause, or suggests there's something left unsaid.
What does OG baby mean? ›ˌō-ˈjē variants or less commonly O.G. plural OGs also OG's or O.G.s or O.G.'s. slang. : someone or something that is an original or originator and especially one that is highly respected or regarded.
What is this emoticon called ❦? ›
Emoji Meaning
A decorative heart-shaped character, which is supported on most platforms as a plain text dingbat. See also ☙ Reversed Rotated Floral Heart Bullet which has an emoji presentation on Samsung devices. Floral Heart was approved as part of Unicode 1.1 in 1993.
👌 Ok Hand emoji
The OK hand emoji has a range of meanings: It can stand in for the word OK, (or the OK hand gesture) communicate strong approval, mark sarcasm, or combine with other emoji to represent sex.
The Lucky Few tattoo features a simple, minimalist design of three arrows that Mica says represent “the three 21st chromosomes and how we rise up and move forward.” It began as a simple bonding moment for a few new friends, but quickly went viral when pictures of their matching tattoos were shared on social media.
What does the three downward arrow tattoo mean? ›The Three Arrows were thought to represent the struggle of the social democratic movement against reaction (referring to monarchism), communism and fascism.