Updated: Nov 12, 2022
Hardly anyone would argue that the emoji with hearts are some of the most commonly used emoticons. The classic emoji set on mobile devices and in various apps contains more than 20 different images of hearts. They differ in color, shape, and additional declarative elements. Each of them has individual meanings and a different connotation. It would seem that a heart is a heart. Love, romance, and all the accompanying emotions. But everything is not so simple, not for nothing, the developers decided to present the heart emoji in such a rich color scheme.
In our article today, we’re going to talk about exactly what each heart means and what the community thinks it’s used for. The heart emoji collection has more than 40 items. The 20 items on the list look like regular Hearts but differ in modifications and color. Other emoji selections not only contain hearts, but are somehow related to love and romance.
We’ve broken down all of the emoji into two groups: classic hearts and decorative, more complex versions. Let’s start, of course, with the classics.
Classic Heart Emojis
The classic red heart was the very first element of the romantic emoji collection designed as part of the Unicode system. It was approved in 1993 in version 1.1 under the name “Heavy black heart” and was added to the Emoji set version 1.0 in 2015. The “Hearts” series went on to include all Unicode characters with at least one heart.
❤️ Red Heart
The red heart is the official symbol of love and romance, which is devoid of any hidden connotation. Usually this emoji is used to convey messages of love or to show sympathy. The Red Heart is the most popular of all hearts. In fact, Red Heart is the fourth most popular of all the emoticons used in messengers and social networks.
The meaning of the emoji can be judged by the context of the messages. So, most often this symbol is put with such words as love, affection, gratitude, appreciation, or used to enhance positive emotions. When it is sent by a romantic partner, it means love and passion. At the same time, it is a smiley face of support: it is used to express sympathy to those who are in a difficult situation.
A red heart means feelings. A normal red heart indicates deep love, serious feelings and an unwillingness to part. In a friendly conversation, it can speak of platonic feelings, affection, so this emoticon can easily be used for strong non-romantic friendships.
🧡 Orange Heart
The orange heart is a traditional symbol of friendships that may not be destined to become more intimate. The Orange Heart emoji is the official symbol of the Friendzone. The orange heart is too bright to be casual, but not enough to be considered a display of affection.
The orange heart – was added to the emoji collection last of all the rainbow colors. It happened in 2017, almost a decade after most hearts first appeared on platforms like iOS and Android.
Depending on color psychology, orange is a color that signifies warmth, courage and excitement, and it can be combined with red and yellow, so you could say that orange combines characteristics of both colors.
There is a perception that the Orange Heart is sent by those who have not ventured into red. However, the one who sends this emoji is hoping for a closer acquaintance. This heart can also be sent after a successful but innocent date. If you received such an emoji in the message, then the interlocutor wants to take your relationship to a new, romantic level.
If you have received this emoji, the person you are talking to wants to take your feelings to the next level, without inflaming the relationship.
💛 Yellow Heart
Yellow is one of the main colors. This color gives a feeling of joy, optimism, happiness and tranquility, usually associated with the sun. Therefore, the Yellow Heart is often used to express friendship or love between you and your family members. It can also signify loyalty, kindness, honesty, creativity and other good qualities. The yellow heart is a symbol that emphasizes purity of intentions, happiness and friendship, and love of life.
Perhaps the most joyful and positive heart of the entire collection, the Yellow Heart is able to decorate any message and make its recipient smile.
It’s a great option for correspondence with family members and romantic relationships that gradually grow into friendships. Choose a yellow heart for Mother’s Day, while talking to your grandmother or an ex-boyfriend who has become just a good buddy to you, because the Yellow Heart in correspondence hints at a friendly relationship without romance.
A yellow heart is often referred to as a Golden Heart, and this shade signifies purity and sincerity.
💚 Green Heart
Green is considered an environmentally friendly and relaxing color recognized by many people, and in most cases symbolizes harmony, tranquility and peace. However, green is also the color of envy or jealousy. In some cultures, this color even indicates betrayal or deception.
The meaning of the green heart emoji can vary depending on who uses it. For those who lead an eco-friendly lifestyle, eat healthy foods or are vegan, it expresses a love of nature. But not so much . If your lover uses it, it can also mean jealousy. It can also be used to express relationship problems.
Another meaning of the Green Heart is reconciliation after a quarrel. Also, the Green Heart can be interpreted as an invitation to a romantic date. But if you are not yet in a relationship with someone, receiving a green heart is tantamount to propositioning them to start a relationship.
Of course you can use a green heart to show that you care about the environment, but most often it is used to express envy in a positive way.
💙 Blue Heart
The blue heart is one of the most controversial symbols of the collection. On the one hand, blue is known to be a “boy” color. Use the blue heart if you want to emphasize that you are friends with the recipient. It is also quite suitable for group chats: such messages are neutral and emotional at the same time.
What does the blue heart emoji mean?
A blue heart emoji means trust, loyalty. It is the shortest way to say that I trust you completely. However, in some cases it also expresses platonic love. The blue heart smiley face is also used in autism and water sports awareness campaigns.
On the other hand, the Blue Heart speaks to the desire for sex and a relationship without commitment. This emoji suggests that you would like to continue communicating horizontally. Simply put, it’s a hint of intimacy. This emoji is sent only to people close to you. The unfamiliar interlocutor may be offended by such a hint. A blue heart is sent to a lover to tell about the desire for intimacy, or to a friend with whom you want to move to a new level of relationship.
But that’s not all. The third use of the Blue Heart is as a Symbol of wisdom, stability, authority and self-confidence. A blue heart is not as passionate as a red or pink heart, but shows tenderness, respect and long-lasting love. Because blue also contains melancholy, it symbolizes deep, bitter love. Blue combined with a heart shape speaks of peace, hope, friendship and harmony.
This unusual emoticon has a fourth meaning. The fact is that it is the blue color that is most often used for heart emoji by major brands for advertising campaigns in social networks. After all, one of the most popular meanings of blue is professionalism and reliability.
💜 Purple Heart
The purple heart is usually used to express love for parents. And in the U.S., it is also a symbol of respect for wounded or killed soldiers in combat, as the military award for bravery bears the same name.
The purple heart doesn’t strictly speak of friendship or romance – it’s sent to lovers and buddies alike. This emoji indicates your deep sympathy for the person. You appreciate his qualities, respect him as a person and would like to continue communicating. The purple emoticon is sent to both friends and loved ones when they want to express their affection
Also, the purple heart is an emoticon used by fans of the Korean boyband BTS.
What does the purple heart emoji mean?
The purple heart emoji is a symbol of understanding and compassion. It is also used to represent caring and innocent love. It is often preferred in messages for Mother’s Day. It is worn by fashionistas and celebrities and can also signify glamour and wealth.
Purple is often associated with luxury, nobility, elegance and sophistication, and is also used to indicate mysticism and magic. Purple is also considered the color of passion.
So, basically means tranquility, nobility, elegance, luxury or mysterious love, and can also be used to express emotions between parents and children. However, in social media, the purple heart emoticon is more often used in the themes of the American armed forces (Purple Heart Award) or BTS.
With the purple heart you can express your warm feelings, wish the person all the best, express gratitude and appreciation.
🖤 Black Heart
A black heart is a traditional symbol of sadness, longing, and the end of a close relationship. But also this heart can signal just that the sender liked the joke with black humor.
However, still, more often than not, a black heart in a message is a bad sign. A black heart is a soft offer to break up. However, in some cases, it may indicate only the frustration of your interlocutor. If you receive a black heart from your lover or significant other, he may be hinting to you that something is bothering or saddening him.
What does the black heart emoji mean?
The number one proponent of black humor messages is the black heart emoji. It is usually used with evil jokes. It can be used in sad and sad situations, as well as to reflect dark spirits.
The color black in most cultures has a negative and even tragic meaning. You can also use this symbol to communicate your dissatisfaction, couple problems, and sadness.
Black is a very controversial color. Some people consider it a color that is formal, mysterious and rebellious, while others consider it a color that is sad, ruthless and final. It all depends on the situation when you use black.
In some cultures a black heart means ruthlessness and lack of conscience, or a heart full of hatred and envy, and it is totally negative.
🤍 White Heart
The white heart is a symbol used to denote love for children and purity of thought. The color white is always perceived as something pure and bright, so this emoji conveys kindness, unselfishness, bright feelings and pure thoughts. The heart is suitable to show love for children and parents.
But like black, white is also ambivalent. In the positive, white means sincerity, purity and innocence, for example, brides always wear white to show their purity. In the negative, it can express emptiness, sadness and isolation. Also, the white heart is often used to discuss the person who is leaving and to express condolences.
What does the white heart emoji mean?
Since white is a symbol of peace in the international arena, the emoji with a white heart is also a symbol. It is a sign of hidden love. The white heart emoji can be used to express pure friendship and relationships, as well as to show kindness and innocence.
Still, however, the positive meaning of the White Heart prevails, and it is most often used as a symbol of the most sincere love and warmth.
🤎 Brown Heart
The brown heart is the least popular of all the heart emoji. It is not a bright or passionate color that most people associate with something not quite pleasant… However, this symbol sometimes speaks about broken hopes, but more often about the love for chocolate.
The brown heart was only added to the emoji collection in 2019, along with the brown circle and square. And today, increasingly, the Brown Heart is being used to discuss topics related to race and skin color.
The smiley face with a brown heart is also used to indicate a love of chocolate. It is used to show love for the environment and nature, as well as to express safety and comfort through the warmth of brown.
Brown is the color of reliability, safety and security. And since most chocolate is brown, this color can also express a sense of bittersweetness. You can use this emoji to express more peaceful love.
💔 Broken Heart
The Broken Heart is a symbol that emphasizes love’s longing, sadness, and emotional pain. It is the only heart in the entire collection with traditionally negative emotional connotations Broken Heart is the emotional opposite of Red Heart.
It is the number one choice for those suffering from a breakup or failed relationship. The Broken Heart smiley face best expresses the feelings of those hopelessly in love or those with no hope of reconciliation. The symbol of a broken heart is used when someone was hurt or upset by some event. Also, this emoji is put to show their emotional pain and longing.
A broken heart speaks for itself. In its usual meaning, it means that your interlocutor hurt or destroyed your love, hurt you. However, it can be used in messengers in another way. For example, to respond to your interlocutor in a joking way.
Other Heart Emojis
In addition to the multicolored options, there are several different standard pink-colored hearts in the emoji collection. Each one has its own meaning, which can be used to express romantic feelings. Pink hearts are used in a couple where the relationship is good and strong. As a rule, such symbols are not sent simply to friends or acquaintances.
No one can deny that pink is the color of tenderness and sweetness. It is less passionate than red, showing more gently and less aggressively.
Also, the collection includes several red hearts, declared with extras, and also several smiley faces. Let’s dive into all the variety of romantic emoji.
❤️🔥 Burning Heart
Emoji Heart on Fire, or Burning Heart is an emoticon symbolizing desire or lust, which can also indicate a sense of burning past love. This symbol means passionate and strong love. Depending on the construction of the sentence, it can also be used to express that we love with great passion.
This emoji conveys strong emotions. Whether it is passion, love and lust, or anger, rage and jealousy.
❤️🩹Healing Heart
Healing Heart is an emoji that Can be used to refer to the process of healing, recovery, or to express sympathy for someone going through a difficult time. Symbolizes a healed heart, whether from love or physical trauma.
❣️Exclamation Mark Heart
Exclamation Heart – This symbol indicates that the person you are talking to agrees with you wholeheartedly. It is a symbol of true love and support. Exclamation Mark heart increases the strength of the sentence.
This emoji is used to express emotional agreement with your interlocutor’s opinion or to show your approval.
Exclamation heart means “I agree wholeheartedly”. That is, it is not about loving feelings, but about sharing your interlocutor’s point of view on a very important issue.
💕Two Hearts
A pair of hearts is an emoji with a very simple, yet priceless meaning: it speaks of mutual feelings, love.
Two emojis with a pink heart describe the feeling of love floating in the air. It can be used in both friendships and romantic relationships. Although Pairing Hearts is a symbol of mutual feelings, this emoji is also quite suitable for those who are just starting a relationship.
💞 Rotating Hearts
The Soaring Hearts emoji is usually used to tell your interlocutor about your warm thoughts about him or her. It represents the bond of love and affection between two people. Rotating Hearts represents falling in love and warm feelings.
💓 Active Heart
Active Heart – this symbol speaks of the first sympathy for the person you’re talking to. Another way of saying that your heart beats with excitement at the thought of this person. An active (ringing) heart – this tells you that the person you’re talking to has begun to experience his or her first feelings of love, sympathy.
💗 Beating Heart
The beating heart is used to show awe in the soul towards the person. It can also be used to indicate the growth of an existing love or the beginning and growth of a new love. This emoji means that the person is in loving awe of their loved one and their heart begins to beat faster.
💖 Sparkling Heart
A heart with stars will help you tell your lover an important phrase like “You’re my universe!”
A star heart smiley face can also be seen as a glowing heart smiley face. As the star symbolizes successful love , it can also express perfect and bright love. This emoji is used to express admiration and strong love.
💘 Heart with an arrow
The arrow in the heart is a traditional symbol used to declare eternal love. It is only used in a romantic sense. Of course, it is indispensable for Valentine’s Day messages. A heart pierced by an arrow says the sender is “smitten” or confesses to eternal love.
💝 Gift Heart
Gift Heart – This symbol will help you give your companion a virtual gift of your heart. It can also be used outside of its romantic meaning, especially in congratulatory messages. Perfect emoji for congratulations. Can replace the words “Gift from my heart” and “Giving you all my love”.
Apart from all the emojis mentioned above, there are some more emoticons with heart symbols, and some of them are extremely popular. For example, these three smiling faces 😘😍🥰 are considered one of the most frequently used emojis in the world. They can mean love of gratitude but always reflect positive vibes and tenderness.Another symbol with a heart is this purple square 💟, which is called simply Heart Ornament. It does not have any hidden meanings, all the difference from a simple heart here is in its design.
Emoji like 🏩 Dating Hotel , 💒 Wedding and 💌 Love Letter also include hearts, but they are very simple. And you can’t call them popular, either.
But the newest emoji in the hearts collection deserves attention. It’s 🫶 two hands, thumbs pointing down and the rest of the fingers bent together, forming a heart shape. This symbol, belonging to Emoji 14.0, was released just recently, in September 2021, and means love and sincerity.
Among other things, there’s also a cat in love 😻, a mini collection of a couple in love, 👩❤️👨👩❤️👩💑👨❤️👨👩❤️💋👨👩❤️💋👩💏👨❤️💋👨, and ♥️, the card suit Hearts, which resembles the classic Red Heart more than any other emoji.
And we can’t help but remember how it all started. Old school: <3.
There are even studies that rank the popularity of emojis with hearts. Here, of course, the classic red heart leads, and the brown heart closes the “hot 20”, which is also not surprising. However, there are other interesting leaders: the red heart is followed by Two Hearts, and in third place is the Purple Heart. As for the outsiders, along with the brown heart, the bottom lines of the hearts hit parade were the heart with an arrow (amazing, isn’t it?), the orange heart, the heart with a gift ribbon, and the heart ornament.
The main implication of the “heart” emoji is love and sympathy. So use the collection to describe pleasant and soulful moments in a relationship, express tenderness, love and passion. Emoji hearts have other uses as well. Use emoji from the collection: for example, in business correspondence to highlight lists and accentuate attention, the❣️ Exclamation Mark Heart emoji can be used. When communicating online about visiting a Hospital or discussing health issues.
In any case, there are no template ways to use the Hearts emoji, so just trust your intuition and imagination.
