Platform Rendering

How different platforms (Apple, Google, Samsung, etc.) display the same Unicode emoji with their own unique visual designs.

Unicode defines *what* an emoji is (its name, code point, and general category) but not *how* it looks. Each platform creates its own visual interpretation, which is why 🙃 or 😬 can look quite different on iPhone vs. Android.

These rendering differences occasionally cause miscommunication. Research has shown that users can interpret the same emoji differently depending on their platform — for example, Samsung's old "grimacing face" looked like a smile.

Platforms update their emoji designs with OS releases, sometimes changing existing designs. Apple's pistol emoji changing from a realistic gun to a water gun in 2016 was a notable example, eventually followed by all other platforms.