Heart Emoji Meanings: What Every Color of Heart Says in a Text

Heart emoji meanings come down to this: the red heart says "I love you," and the other colors add a shade of feeling on top. A yellow heart feels sunny and friendly, a green or blue heart is calm and steady, a purple heart is soft and sweet, a white heart is pure and gentle, and a pink heart is playful and tender. None of these meanings is official, though. The Unicode Consortium, the group that sets the standard for emoji, gives each heart a name and a code number, but it never says what a color should mean. The meaning comes from how people use them.

This guide walks through every heart in the standard, one by one. For each, you'll get its plain name (we spell them out in words here rather than showing the pictures), its official Unicode name and code point, the year it arrived, and the way people tend to use it in a text. You'll also find out why a heart can look different on your phone than on your partner's, what research says about emoji in romantic texting, and some easy rules for sending hearts without mixed signals.

Quick answer: what each heart color usually means

Here's the short version. Think of it as a cheat sheet, not a rulebook. Your partner, your friends and your family may each use hearts a little differently, and that's fine.

Heart (named in words)	Code point	Common meaning in a text	Good for
Red heart	U+2764 (with U+FE0F)	Love, romance, deep affection	Partners, "I love you," big moments
Pink heart	U+1FA77	Sweet, tender, playful love	Crushes, cute replies, friends
Orange heart	U+1F9E1	Warm care, "I like you a lot"	New relationships, close friends
Yellow heart	U+1F49B	Happiness, friendship, cheer	Best friends, good news
Green heart	U+1F49A	Calm, growth, nature, health	Encouragement, outdoorsy plans
Blue heart	U+1F499	Trust, loyalty, steady support	Long friendships, comfort
Light blue heart	U+1FA75	Gentle, peaceful, soft affection	Calm check-ins, sweet notes
Purple heart	U+1F49C	Tenderness, admiration, fun	Family, fandoms, cute texts
Brown heart	U+1F90E	Warmth, comfort, cozy feelings	Coffee dates, autumn plans
Black heart	U+1F5A4	Love with a dry or moody tone, or sorrow	Inside jokes, sympathy
Gray heart	U+1FA76	Quiet, low-key, mellow feelings	Subtle replies, rainy days
White heart	U+1F90D	Pure, gentle love, or remembrance	Weddings, condolences

A quick note on the code points. "U+" followed by a number is how Unicode labels each character. Your phone stores that number, and the font on your screen decides what picture to draw for it. That's why we can talk about a heart precisely without showing the picture.

What Unicode is, and why it matters for hearts

Every letter, number and symbol you type has a code number behind it. The Unicode Standard is the shared list that makes sure a heart sent from one phone arrives as a heart on another. The Unicode Consortium also publishes the emoji rules in a document called Unicode Technical Standard #51, often shortened to UTS #51.

Two parts of that standard matter for hearts.

• Unicode sets the name and the number, not the picture. UTS #51 says plainly that the shape of an emoji "can vary significantly" from one maker to another, and that "the exact shades may vary between implementations." Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft each draw their own hearts.
• Unicode doesn't define feelings. The standard names a character "yellow heart" because it's a heart and it's yellow. Whether it means friendship or a crush is up to the people texting.

The full list of emoji, grouped by type, lives in the Consortium's emoji test data file. It has a whole subgroup simply called "heart," and every color in this article comes from that list. Each line also carries an "E" number, such as E0.6 or E15.0, that tells you which emoji version added it.

How to read an emoji version

Emoji versions don't line up neatly with calendar years, so here's a translation table built from the version history in UTS #51. When this article says a heart arrived in a certain year, this is where the year comes from.

Label in the data file	Released	Hearts added in that version
E0.6	October 2010 (Unicode 6.0)	Red, yellow, green, blue, purple, broken, and the "feeling" hearts such as two hearts and sparkling heart
E1.0	June 2015	Heart exclamation
E3.0	June 2016	Black heart
E5.0	June 2017	Orange heart
E11.0	May 2018	Smiling face with hearts
E12.0	March 2019	White heart, brown heart
E13.1	September 2020	Heart on fire, mending heart
E14.0	September 2021	Heart hands
E15.0	September 2022	Pink heart, light blue heart, gray heart

So the heart family grew from a handful of colors in 2010 to twelve solid colors by 2022. If someone you text has a much older phone, the newer hearts may show up as an empty box or a question mark. That's not a mistake on your end. Their device just doesn't know that code point yet.

The red heart: the classic way to say love

Name: red heart. Code point: U+2764, usually followed by U+FE0F. Emoji since: E0.6 (2010).

The red heart is the oldest heart of the bunch, by a long way. According to Emojipedia's entry for the red heart, the character was approved in Unicode 1.1 back in 1993, long before color emoji existed. Its formal character name is still "heavy black heart," because in 1993 it was a solid black printer's symbol, the kind you'd see in a list of decorative marks. The color came later, when phone makers began drawing it as a red emoji.

That history explains a small quirk. U+2764 on its own can show up as a plain black text heart. Adding an invisible helper character, U+FE0F, tells the phone to draw the colorful emoji version. UTS #51 calls U+FE0F the "emoji presentation selector," and describes it as a way "to request an emoji presentation." Most keyboards add it for you, which is why you rarely notice.

What it means: Emojipedia sums it up as "traditionally used for expressions of love and romance across many cultures." It's the heart for "I love you," for anniversaries, for the moment you land after a long flight. Many apps also use it as a default reaction, so a red heart on a photo can simply mean "I like this."

How to read it in context: From a partner, a red heart after "good night" is warm and sincere. From a coworker reacting to a team photo, it's a friendly "nice." The same picture, two different weights.

Pink, orange and yellow hearts: the warm, light colors

Pink heart

Name: pink heart. Code point: U+1FA77. Added: E15.0 (2022).

The pink heart is one of the newest solid colors. Emojipedia's pink heart page notes that it "represents love, friendship, warmth," and that it was one of the most requested emoji for years before it finally arrived. Before 2022, people who wanted pink had to borrow one of the decorated hearts, like the sparkling heart or growing heart, which are drawn in pink on most phones.

Common use: sweet and soft. It's lighter than red, so it works well early in a relationship, in replies to a cute photo, or between close friends. If red is "I love you," pink is often "you're adorable."

Orange heart

Name: orange heart. Code point: U+1F9E1. Added: E5.0 (2017).

Common use: warm care without the full weight of red. Many people use it for "I really like you" or "you mean a lot to me" when they aren't ready for the red heart yet. It's a popular pick for new couples who want to show feeling without rushing. It also fits fall, sunsets and anything pumpkin-flavored.

Yellow heart

Name: yellow heart. Code point: U+1F49B. Added: E0.6 (2010).

Common use: happiness and friendship. The yellow heart is the friendly heart. People send it to best friends, to celebrate good news, or to say "you made my day." In a romantic chat it reads as cheerful and sweet rather than intense. If your crush sends you yellow hearts, it may mean "I like you as a friend" or simply "I'm happy talking to you." Context and the words around it matter more than the color.

Green, blue, light blue and purple hearts: the cool colors

Green heart

Name: green heart. Code point: U+1F49A. Added: E0.6 (2010).

Common use: calm, growth and nature. Green hearts show up in messages about hiking, plants, healthy habits and fresh starts. People also use them to show support for a team, a cause or a holiday whose color is green. In a couple's chat, it can be a gentle "I'm proud of how you're growing."

Blue heart

Name: blue heart. Code point: U+1F499. Added: E0.6 (2010).

Common use: trust, loyalty and steady support. The blue heart often feels calmer and more grounded than red. It's common between longtime friends and family, and it fits well when you're comforting someone. It also gets used for sports teams, the ocean and anything that's simply blue.

Light blue heart

Name: light blue heart. Code point: U+1FA75. Added: E15.0 (2022).

Common use: soft and peaceful. It arrived in the same release as the pink heart. People use it for gentle check-ins, sky and water photos, and messages that call for a quiet kind of affection. Paired with a blue heart, it can show a range of calm feelings.

Purple heart

Name: purple heart. Code point: U+1F49C. Added: E0.6 (2010).

Common use: tenderness, admiration and fun. Purple hearts are a favorite between parents and kids, siblings and close friends. Many fan communities use purple as their color too, so you'll see it a lot in posts about bands and shows. In a couple's chat, it's affectionate and a little playful.

Brown, black, gray and white hearts

Brown heart

Name: brown heart. Code point: U+1F90E. Added: E12.0 (2019).

Common use: warmth and comfort. It suits cozy things like coffee, chocolate, wood fires and autumn walks. People also use it to show pride and solidarity with Black and brown communities. In a romantic text, it can feel grounded and homey.

Black heart

Name: black heart. Code point: U+1F5A4. Added: E3.0 (2016).

The black heart has the widest range of any color. Emojipedia's black heart entry says it can express sorrow or dark humor, but that it's "most commonly used for love and affection." It's popular with people who like a dry, low-key style. It also appears in messages of sympathy and grief.

How to read it: look at the words around it. "Love your playlist" plus a black heart is a compliment with a cool, understated tone. A black heart under news of a loss is a sign of mourning.

Gray heart

Name: gray heart. Code point: U+1FA76. Added: E15.0 (2022).

One spelling note: Unicode spells the official name the British way, G-R-E-Y, so you'll see it written that way in emoji lists. Common use: mellow, quiet feelings. It's the heart for rainy days, calm moods and replies where red would feel like too much.

White heart

Name: white heart. Code point: U+1F90D. Added: E12.0 (2019).

Emojipedia's white heart page describes it as "used for love and affection," and notes it's often used when talking about someone who has died, or to suggest heavenly or angelic themes. It also turns up around weddings because of white dresses and flowers.

How to read it: it's gentle and sincere. From a partner, it can feel like pure, calm love. In a sympathy message, it's a quiet way to say "thinking of you."

Hearts that show a feeling, not a color

Besides the solid colors, the standard includes hearts that act out a feeling. On most phones these are drawn in pink or red, but their meaning comes from their shape and motion, not their color. All of these are listed in the heart subgroup of Unicode's emoji data.

• Two hearts (U+1F495, 2010): affection that feels light and happy. Often used as "love you" in a casual way.
• Revolving hearts (U+1F49E, 2010): two hearts circling each other. Many people read it as being in love, or a couple who's always together.
• Sparkling heart (U+1F496, 2010): excitement and delight. Good for "I can't wait to see you."
• Growing heart (U+1F497, 2010): feelings getting bigger. Cute for "I like you more every day."
• Beating heart (U+1F493, 2010): a fast-beating heart, like nerves before a first date.
• Heart with arrow (U+1F498, 2010): Cupid's arrow, meaning "I've fallen for you." A Valentine's Day favorite.
• Heart with ribbon (U+1F49D, 2010): a heart wrapped like a present. Use it for gifts and "my heart is yours."
• Heart decoration (U+1F49F, 2010): a small heart inside a square. Mostly decorative.
• Heart exclamation (U+2763, 2015): a heart sitting on top of a dot, like an exclamation point. Used for strong agreement or "love this."
• Broken heart (U+1F494, 2010): sadness, disappointment, or teasing sorrow ("you ate the last cookie?").
• Love letter (U+1F48C, 2010): an envelope with a heart seal. It's in the heart subgroup too, and it's perfect for sweet notes.

Heart on fire and mending heart

These two arrived together in E13.1 (2020), and they're built a little differently. Each is a ZWJ sequence. ZWJ stands for "zero width joiner," U+200D, an invisible character that glues two emoji into one picture.

• Heart on fire is red heart + U+FE0F + U+200D + fire (U+1F525). It usually means passionate, burning love, or excitement about something you love.
• Mending heart is red heart + U+FE0F + U+200D + adhesive bandage (U+1FA79). Emojipedia's mending heart entry calls it "the opposite of a broken heart," and says it can signal healing, recovery or sympathy.

If a phone doesn't support these sequences, it may show the two parts side by side, a red heart next to a flame or a bandage. The message still gets across, just in two pieces.

Faces and hands with hearts

A few other popular emoji carry hearts too:

• Smiling face with heart-eyes (U+1F60D, 2010): adoration. "I love this" or "you look amazing."
• Smiling face with hearts (U+1F970, 2018): feeling loved and happy, surrounded by affection.
• Heart hands (U+1FAF6, 2021): two hands making a heart shape. It comes in five skin tones and is used for gratitude and support.

Why hearts look different on different phones

You send a red heart from one brand of phone, and your partner sees a slightly different red heart on another. That's normal. As UTS #51 explains, Unicode gives each emoji a number and a name but leaves the drawing to each company. The standard does ask designers to keep the same "core" shape, and it warns that straying too far "can cause interoperability problems," which is a technical way of saying people might misread it.

For hearts, the core shape is easy to keep, so they travel better than faces do. Even so, shades vary. One company's orange heart might lean red, and another's purple heart might lean blue.

Researchers have looked at how much this matters. In a study presented at the 2016 International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, Hannah Miller and colleagues at the University of Minnesota showed people popular emoji as drawn on different platforms. In their paper, "Blissfully Happy" or "Ready to Fight": Varying Interpretations of Emoji, they found that even when people looked at the exact same picture, "they disagreed on whether the sentiment was positive, neutral, or negative 25% of the time." Disagreement went up when the pictures came from different platforms. The study focused mostly on faces, but the lesson carries over: an emoji is a hint, not a full sentence.

What research says about heart emoji in romantic texting

Do emoji actually help people connect? One of the largest studies on this is "Worth a thousand interpersonal words: Emoji as affective signals for relationship-oriented digital communication" by Amanda N. Gesselman, Vivian P. Ta and Justin R. Garcia, published in PLOS ONE in 2019. The team surveyed 5,327 single US adults in one study and 275 in a second.

Here's what stood out, in plain terms:

• Personality was the top reason. In the larger study, 53% of people said emoji "give my text messages more personality."
• Emoji help with feelings. About 23.5% said emoji make it easier to express their feelings, and 19.9% said they're faster than typing.
• People who used emoji more often went on more dates. In the first study, more frequent emoji use was linked to more first dates. In the second, it was linked to second dates.

One important caveat: the researchers stress that these are correlations. Using more hearts won't cause a second date. It's more likely that expressive, warm people both use emoji and connect easily. The study also didn't look at which specific emoji people sent, so it can't tell us that a purple heart works better than a blue one.

Emoji are everywhere now. The Unicode Consortium's blog, in a 2021 post on the most frequently used emoji, said "92% of the world's online population use emoji." With that many people sending them, it's no surprise that small differences in meaning grow up between friend groups, families and couples.

Heart emoji etiquette: when to send which heart

Because heart emoji meanings are loose, a few simple habits keep things clear and kind.

Match the heart to the relationship

• Partner or spouse: any heart works. Red for big feelings, pink for cute moments, and anything else for fun.
• Crush or early dating: orange, yellow or pink feel friendly and warm without saying too much too soon. A red heart can feel like a big step, so many people save it. Our guide on when to start using pet names follows the same idea: let the warmth build naturally.
• Friends: yellow, purple, blue and green are safe bets. Red is fine too if your group uses it freely.
• Family: purple, blue, white and red are all common.
• Work: a red heart reaction on a team win is usually fine in a casual workplace. In a more formal setting, a thumbs-up is the safer choice.

Let the words carry the meaning

A heart is like a tone of voice. It colors what you say, but it doesn't replace it. "Proud of you" plus a green heart is crystal clear. A green heart alone, with no words, leaves the other person guessing.

Mirror, then add your own touch

If your partner uses lots of purple hearts, sending purple back shows you've noticed. Over time, many couples settle on a "their color," a heart that belongs to the two of them. It works a lot like a pet name. If you're into that idea, our list of texting nicknames pairs nicely with a signature heart.

Watch out for mix-ups

• Black heart in a sad moment: it reads as mourning, so it's a poor choice for a joke right after bad news.
• White heart with a loss: it's often a remembrance symbol, so be aware of that before sending it with a cheerful message.
• Broken heart as a tease: fine with someone who knows your humor, confusing with someone who doesn't.
• Newer hearts on old phones: pink, light blue and gray may not show up on devices that haven't been updated. If you get a reply asking "why did you send a box?", that's why.

Try it yourself: heart combinations and what they say

Couples and friends often stack hearts to say something more specific. These combinations are common, but they aren't official. Use them as a starting point and make your own.

Combination (in words)	What it often says	Example message
Red heart + red heart + red heart	Lots of love, extra emphasis	"Happy anniversary" + three red hearts
Pink heart + light blue heart	Soft, sweet, pastel love	"Morning, sunshine" + pink and light blue
Orange heart + yellow heart	Warm and happy, sunny vibes	"Best beach day ever" + orange and yellow
Green heart + blue heart	Calm, nature, steady support	"Good luck on the hike" + green and blue
Rainbow row of hearts (red to purple)	Love for everyone, celebration, pride	"So happy for you both" + a full row
Broken heart + mending heart	"I was sad, but I'm healing"	"Rough week, better now"
Heart with arrow + red heart	Smitten, Cupid struck	"Can't stop thinking about our date"

A worked example

Here's an illustrative example with made-up people. Maya and Jordan have been dating for three weeks. Maya sends: "Had the best time tonight" with an orange heart. Jordan replies: "Me too, can't wait for Saturday" with an orange heart and a sparkling heart.

What's going on? Maya chose orange, which is warm without being a big declaration. Jordan mirrored her color, which shows he's on the same page, and added a sparkling heart for excitement. Neither of them jumped to a red heart, and that's fine. A few months later, when one of them first sends a red heart with "love you," it'll feel like the meaningful step it is.

Build your own heart code

Try this with your partner or best friend:

1. Pick one heart that means "thinking of you" and send it with no words on a busy day.
2. Pick one heart that means "proud of you" for wins, big and small.
3. Pick one heart that means "I need a hug" for hard days.
4. Write the code down in your notes app so neither of you forgets.

That tiny shared language is part of what makes couples feel close. The psychology of pet names works the same way: private words and signals help two people feel like a team.

Hearts in contact names and nicknames

Lots of people add a heart to a partner's name in their phone. It's a small, sweet habit, and it shows up on the screen every time that person calls or texts. Many phones let you add emoji right in the contact name field.

• A red heart after a nickname is classic and clear.
• A heart in your partner's favorite color is personal and thoughtful.
• Two hearts on either side of a name look balanced and cute.

For name ideas to go with the heart, browse our contact names for your boyfriend and contact names for your girlfriend. Keep in mind that contact names can pop up on a lock screen, so pick something you'd be comfortable with anyone seeing.

Common myths about heart emoji meanings

Myth: each color has one official meaning

Not true. Unicode names the colors, but the meanings in this guide come from common use. Your group chat may use the green heart for something totally different, and that's valid.

Myth: a yellow heart always means "just friends"

It often reads as friendly, but plenty of couples use yellow for happiness and sunshine. Look at the whole message and the person's habits before reading too much into one color.

Myth: the black heart is always negative

As Emojipedia notes, it's most commonly used for love and affection. Many people simply like its sleek, understated look.

Myth: everyone sees the same picture

As the University of Minnesota study showed, emoji look different across platforms, and people read even the same picture differently. Hearts are fairly stable, but shades still vary.

Myth: more hearts means more love

Some people use hearts all the time, and some almost never do. A partner who rarely sends emoji may show love in other ways, like calling, planning dates or remembering small things. If you want ideas that go beyond the screen, our list of ways to make your partner feel special has plenty.

Heart emoji meanings for special days

• Valentine's Day: red hearts, the heart with arrow and the heart with ribbon are classic picks.
• Anniversaries: a red heart with revolving hearts says "still in love, still together."
• Weddings: white hearts for the dress and flowers, plus red for love.
• Birthdays: pink, sparkling or yellow hearts feel bright and festive.
• Get-well messages: the mending heart or a green heart for health.
• Sympathy: a white heart or a simple red heart, with kind words.
• Long-distance days: a beating heart or a growing heart says "I miss you more each day."

How to find the right heart on your keyboard

With so many hearts, finding the one you want can take a moment. A few tricks help.

• Search by name. Most phone emoji keyboards have a search bar. Type the plain name, like "purple heart" or "mending heart," and it pops right up. This works because keyboards use the same short names that appear in Unicode's emoji list.
• Look in the "Smileys and People" or "Symbols" section. Unicode files the hearts under a group called Smileys and Emotion, but each keyboard arranges things its own way. Many put the colored hearts in a symbols tab.
• Check your recently used row. Once you've sent a heart a few times, it usually sits in the "frequently used" area at the front of the keyboard.
• Use your computer's emoji picker. On many laptops a keyboard shortcut opens an emoji panel with the same search feature.

Developers and designers sometimes need the code point itself. If you build a website or app, you can type the code point into your code instead of pasting the picture, which keeps files tidy and avoids mix-ups when text is copied between programs. For the colored red heart, remember to include both U+2764 and U+FE0F, or some systems will show the plain black text version instead.

One last tip: if you're writing a heartfelt message on a shared or work computer, double-check the heart before you hit send. The broken heart and the red heart sit close together on some keyboards, and that's one slip nobody wants to make on an anniversary.

Wrapping up

Heart emoji meanings aren't written in stone. Unicode gives each heart a name, a code point and a release date, and the rest comes from the people who send them. Red is still the heart for "I love you." The other colors let you add nuance, from the friendly yellow heart to the calm blue heart to the gentle white heart. When in doubt, say what you mean in words and let the heart set the tone.

If you'd like a sweet word to go with your heart, try our free nickname generator. You pick who it's for and a vibe, such as cute and sweet, romantic or funny, and it suggests names with a short "why it works" note for each. You can save favorites to a shortlist, and there's a Couple Name Mixer for blending your two names into one.

Which Heart for Which Person

This table matches the person you're texting with the hearts the article suggests, plus a note on what to keep in mind.

Who you're texting	Hearts that work	Keep in mind
Partner or spouse	Any heart	Red for big feelings, pink for cute moments, anything else for fun
A crush or early dating	Orange, yellow or pink	Friendly and warm without saying too much too soon; a red heart can feel like a big step
Friends	Yellow, purple, blue and green	Red is fine too if your group uses it freely
Family	Purple, blue, white and red	All are common
Work	A red heart reaction on a team win	Usually fine in a casual workplace; in a formal setting, a thumbs-up is safer

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the red heart emoji mean?

The red heart is the classic symbol of love. People send it to say I love you, to celebrate anniversaries, or to show deep affection. Many apps also use it as a quick reaction, so on a photo it can simply mean I like this. Its code point is U+2764, usually followed by U+FE0F so it shows in color. The character itself dates back to Unicode 1.1 in 1993, when its formal name was heavy black heart, and it became a color emoji later.

What does a yellow heart mean from a guy or a girl?

A yellow heart usually signals happiness, warmth and friendship. From a crush, it might mean they enjoy talking to you and feel cheerful around you, but it doesn't always mean romance. Some couples use yellow hearts all the time because they like the sunny color. The best way to read it is to look at the words around it and at how that person usually texts. If they send yellow hearts to everyone, it's friendly. If it's only for you, it may mean more.

What is the difference between the pink heart and the red heart?

Both show affection, but they feel different. The red heart is the strong, classic way to say love, so many people save it for partners and family. The pink heart, added in 2022 as U+1FA77, feels softer, sweeter and more playful. It's popular for cute replies, early dating and close friends. You can think of red as I love you and pink as you're adorable. Of course, couples are free to use either one however they like.

Is the black heart emoji a bad sign?

Not usually. Emojipedia notes that the black heart can express sorrow or dark humor, but it's most commonly used for love and affection. Many people pick it because they like its sleek, low-key look. Context is the key. A black heart under a compliment is a stylish way of saying love it. A black heart under news of a loss is a sign of mourning. If you're unsure, look at the words and the situation rather than the color alone.

What does the white heart emoji mean?

The white heart, U+1F90D, was added in 2019. It stands for pure, gentle love and is often used around weddings because of white dresses and flowers. It's also commonly used to remember someone who has died, or to suggest something heavenly or angelic. Because of that second use, it's worth thinking about the mood before you send it. With a sweet message to a partner, it reads as calm and sincere. With a sympathy note, it reads as quiet support.

When were the newest heart colors added?

The pink heart, light blue heart and gray heart were all added in Emoji 15.0, which Unicode released in September 2022. Before that, the brown and white hearts arrived in 2019, the orange heart in 2017 and the black heart in 2016. The original red, yellow, green, blue and purple hearts came with Unicode 6.0 in 2010. If someone has an older phone that hasn't been updated, the newest hearts may appear as empty boxes instead of colored hearts.

Why does my heart emoji look different on my partner's phone?

Unicode sets each emoji's name and code number, but every company draws its own picture. The Unicode emoji standard says the shape can vary significantly and the exact shades may vary between implementations. So an orange heart on one phone may look slightly redder on another. Hearts usually travel well because their basic shape is simple, but colors and shading still differ. A University of Minnesota study found people often read emoji differently, especially across platforms.

What does the heart on fire emoji mean?

The heart on fire usually means passionate, intense love, or strong excitement about something you adore, like a favorite song or a big win. It was added in Emoji 13.1 in 2020. It's built from a red heart joined to a fire emoji with an invisible character called a zero width joiner. If a phone doesn't support it, you may see a red heart and a flame side by side instead of one combined picture. The meaning still comes through.

Which heart emoji should I send to my crush?

Warm but light colors are a safe start. Orange, yellow and pink hearts show you like someone without making a big declaration. A sparkling heart can add excitement. Many people save the red heart for later, once feelings are clearly shared, because it reads as a bigger step. Pair the heart with words so your meaning is clear, like had fun today plus an orange heart. And if your crush starts mirroring your heart color, that's usually a good sign.

Sources

We checked every source below while writing this guide. Last reviewed October 30, 2026, by Joan Ramos.

1. Unicode Technical Standard #51: Unicode Emoji (Unicode Consortium)
2. Emoji Keyboard/Display Test Data (emoji-test.txt) (Unicode Consortium)
3. Our Most Frequently Used Emoji (Unicode Consortium Blog)
4. Worth a thousand interpersonal words: Emoji as affective signals for relationship-oriented digital communication (Gesselman, Ta and Garcia, 2019) (PLOS ONE)
5. "Blissfully Happy" or "Ready to Fight": Varying Interpretations of Emoji (Miller et al., 2016) (Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media)
6. Red Heart (Emojipedia)
7. Pink Heart (Emojipedia)
8. Black Heart (Emojipedia)
9. White Heart (Emojipedia)
10. Mending Heart (Emojipedia)