WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One fun feature of WhatsApp is the ability to send emojis or stickers to express yourself beyond just text. WhatsApp comes with a default set of emojis, but you can change these to other emoji styles if you want. In this article, we’ll look at how to change the emoji set on WhatsApp for Android, iOS, and Web/Desktop.
Reasons to change your WhatsApp emojis
Here are some of the main reasons you may want to use a different emoji set in WhatsApp:
You want emojis that look different
The default WhatsApp emojis are based on the Android style emojis. If you’re used to iOS emojis or other emoji styles, you might prefer using those instead. Changing the emoji set lets you see the emojis you’re familiar with.
To get new or missing emojis
WhatsApp doesn’t immediately update its emoji set whenever new emojis are released. Changing to another emoji set lets you get access to newer emojis that aren’t in the default WhatsApp emoji set yet.
Themed emojis
Some third-party emoji apps offer special themed emojis you can’t get otherwise, like Christmas or Halloween themed emojis.
Higher quality emojis
The default WhatsApp emojis are a bit low resolution and pixelated. Other emoji sets like iOS or Twitter emojis offer higher resolution versions that look sharper on screen.
How to change WhatsApp emojis on Android
For Android users, you can change the emoji set by installing a third-party emoji app from the Google Play Store. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Download an emoji app
On Android, the best emoji apps to use for WhatsApp include:
– EmojiOne
– Emojidex
– Emoticon
– Textra
Search for one of these apps on Google Play and install it on your device. We’ll use EmojiOne for this example.
Step 2: Set it as default emoji
Open your device Settings > Apps & notifications > Default apps > Emoji provider. Select the emoji app you installed. This will make it the new default emoji set for all apps including WhatsApp.
Step 3: Restart WhatsApp
Force close and restart the WhatsApp app, and the new emojis will now show in all your chats and menus.
Step 4: Revert back
To go back to the default WhatsApp emoji set, just open Default apps and change the Emoji provider setting back to None or Android System Emoji.
Changing WhatsApp emojis on iPhone
For iOS devices, the process is similar but without needing a separate app:
Step 1: Go to Settings
Open your iPhone Settings and go to General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Edit.
Step 2: Add new keyboard
Tap the + icon to add a new keyboard. Select the emoji style you want like iOS emojis or Twitter emojis.
Step 3: Switch keyboards
Open WhatsApp and tap on the globe icon while typing to switch keyboards and access the new emoji set.
Step 4: Revert back
To return to the default emoji set, just delete the added keyboard in your iPhone Settings.
Changing WhatsApp emojis on Web/Desktop
To use different emoji sets in WhatsApp Web accessed through a browser or the desktop app, you’ll need to install an emoji picker extension:
Step 1: Install extension
Install a browser extension like EmojiOne or Emoji King based on your preferred emoji set.
Step 2: Enable extension
In WhatsApp Web/Desktop, click on the extension icon and enable it specifically for web.whatsapp.com so it works on just WhatsApp.
Step 3: Select emojis
Now when typing a message in WhatsApp Web/Desktop, click the extension’s emoji icon to open the picker and select the emojis you want.
Step 4: Disable extension
To go back to default WhatsApp emojis, disable or uninstall the emoji picker extension.
Pro tips for changing WhatsApp emojis
Here are some handy tips when changing up your WhatsApp emojis:
– Make sure all parties in a chat have the same emoji set enabled or the emojis may show differently.
– If you don’t see new emojis, try force closing and reopening WhatsApp to refresh the emoji database.
– On Android you can have multiple emoji apps installed and switch between them as needed.
– Add multiple keyboards on iOS to easily access different emoji styles from WhatsApp.
– On Web/Desktop, pick an emoji extension that matches your mobile OS for consistency.
Conclusion
Being able to customize your emoji set is a fun way to add some extra personality to your WhatsApp chats. With just a few quick steps, you can enable entirely new emoji designs across all platforms. So give it a try and see which emoji style you like best! Just be sure to coordinate with your WhatsApp contacts so the emojis display properly on both ends.
| Platform | Method |
|---|---|
| Android | Install emoji app from Play Store |
| iPhone | Add new keyboard in Settings |
| Web/Desktop | Use emoji picker browser extension |