Emoji history
Emoji history begins with a set of simple icons for a Japanese mobile service and grows into a global visual language. Learn when emojis were made, where they come from, and how new emojis are added.
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Emoji history: the original emojis and early expansion
The first emoji set was created by Shigetaka Kurita for NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service. Kurita designed 176 small, pixel-based icons inspired by manga, weather symbols, and street signs, aiming to add emotional context to short text messages. These original emojis included simple faces like a grinning face emoji and a heart emoji, though none used colour initially.
Kurita's set wasn't the first use of pictographs on phones, but it was the first to be widely adopted under the name ‘emoji’. Early designs were limited and varied between Japanese carriers, making them incompatible across networks. Despite these constraints, the idea of adding visual emotion to text proved powerful, and other carriers soon developed their own versions.
Where do emojis come from? The global spread
Emoji remained largely a Japanese phenomenon until global tech companies recognised their potential. As major tech companies added emoji support, the symbols became accessible to a worldwide audience. The key turning point came when emoji were incorporated into the Unicode standard, ensuring that a grinning face emoji could be used across different devices and platforms.
Once standardised, emoji spread rapidly. Smartphone adoption and social media integration turned them into a central part of digital communication. Emoji began appearing in advertising, music videos, and academic research, cementing their place in modern culture.
Compare emoji history with similar emoji
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| grinning faceU+1F600 | A basic smiling face | |
| face with tears of joyU+1F602 | A common way to show laughter or joy | |
| rolling on the floor laughingU+1F923 | Added later as a more intense laughter emoji | |
| smiling face with heartsU+1F970 | A newer addition expressing affection | |
| smiling face with tearU+1F972 | A recent face for mixed emotions |
How are emojis made? The path from proposal to your keyboard
New emoji are not added randomly. Anyone can submit a proposal to the Unicode Consortium, the non-profit organisation that standardises text across platforms. Proposals must explain why the emoji is needed, show evidence of expected usage, and provide a design concept. If accepted, it can take a couple of years for a new emoji to appear on most devices.
Once approved, emoji are assigned a code point and platform vendors like Apple, Google, and Samsung create their own designs. This is why the same emoji can look different on an iPhone and an Android. Recent updates have introduced a wide range of new faces, including smiling face with tear and smiling face with hearts, reflecting a demand for more nuanced emotional expression.
The emoji timeline: key moments
Tracing emoji history reveals a steady march from niche feature to universal language. The original emoji set focused on simple emotions and objects, while later additions broadened to include more diverse faces, foods, activities, and cultural symbols. The rolling on the floor laughing emoji and the smiling face with tear are examples of later arrivals that capture complex feelings in a single glyph.
- First emoji set designed by Shigetaka Kurita for i-mode
- Emoji standardised by Unicode, enabling cross-platform use
- Major expansion with additional faces, gestures, and objects
- Continuous additions from platform vendors and community proposals
Emoji releases and platform updates
The emoji set has grown steadily since its early days. The rolling on the floor laughing emoji 🤣 is one of many expressive faces added over time, useful for responding to something very funny.
Other expressive faces include the smiling face with tear 🥲 and the smiling face with hearts 🥰, which help convey mixed or affectionate feelings.
Apple’s iPhone software has periodically added new emoji batches. You can copy any emoji from this page and paste it directly into a message or note—the characters work across apps and devices.
Questions people ask
When were emojis created?
The first emoji set was created by Shigetaka Kurita for NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service. These original emojis included simple faces, hearts, and weather symbols, designed to add emotional nuance to mobile messages.
What year were emojis invented?
Emoji were invented for a Japanese mobile service, though the exact month is unknown. They later spread globally and became a universal visual language.
Where do emojis come from?
Emoji originate from Japan, where they were developed for mobile messaging. After being standardised by Unicode, they became available on platforms worldwide and are now used across cultures.
Who made the emojis?
The original emoji were designed by Shigetaka Kurita for NTT DoCoMo. Since then, many designers, platform vendors, and the Unicode Consortium have contributed to the growing set.
How are emojis made?
Anyone can propose a new emoji to the Unicode Consortium. Proposals need evidence of expected use, and if approved, the emoji is added to the standard and then designed by platform vendors.
What are the newer emojis that have been added?
Recent updates have added expressive faces like the rolling on the floor laughing emoji 🤣, the smiling face with tear 🥲, and the smiling face with hearts 🥰. These give more ways to show emotion in messages.
Which emoji updates have come to the iPhone?
Apple regularly includes new emojis in its iPhone software updates. You can copy and paste any emoji from this page into your messages—the characters are standard and work on iPhone and other devices.
What were the original emojis made for?
The original emojis were created for a Japanese mobile messaging service. Designed by Shigetaka Kurita, the first set of 176 icons added emotional context to short text messages and laid the foundation for today’s global emoji language.
When did the emoji vocabulary expand significantly?
The emoji vocabulary expanded in several stages, with major additions that introduced many new symbols and faces beyond the original set. These expansions brought hundreds of new choices, including activities, foods, and more diverse people, making emoji a richer tool for communication.
Which emoji update brought us the rolling on the floor laughing face?
The rolling on the floor laughing emoji 🤣 arrived in a later emoji update that broadened the set of expressive faces and gestures. The same release introduced several other playful reactions.
About this guide
Written and maintained by the Emoji Directory editorial team, without ads or sponsorship. Meanings describe how the emoji is commonly used in public posts and messages, not an official definition. Names, code points, versions, keywords and translations come from the Unicode Emoji 18.0 and CLDR data; shortcodes from the gemoji project. Last reviewed . Spotted a mistake or a new usage? Tell us, or read how the directory is made.
