If you spend a lot of time on platforms like Discord and TikTok, you might notice that the emojis look slightly different from how they appear on your phone or on other websites. This often leads to the question: do these platforms have their own unique emojis?

The answer is both yes and no. This guide will clarify how emojis work across different platforms and explain the unique case of custom emotes.

The Foundation: One Universal Standard

At its core, every emoji you use—from a simple smiley 😊 to a complex dragon 🐉—is based on a universal standard managed by the Unicode Consortium. Unicode assigns a unique code point (like U+1F60A) to every single emoji. This ensures that when you send an emoji from one device, it can be correctly interpreted and displayed on another.

So, the "Smiling Face with Smiling Eyes" emoji is the same emoji everywhere, whether you're on iOS, Android, Twitter, TikTok, or Discord.

The Twist: Platform-Specific Designs

Where things get interesting is in the visual design. While the meaning of the emoji is standardized, each company (Apple, Google, Samsung, Twitter, etc.) designs its own artwork to represent that emoji.

This is why the same emoji can look different depending on where you see it:

• Apple's emojis often have a glossy, detailed look.
• Google's emojis have a softer, more rounded and flat appearance.
• Twitter's emojis (Twemoji) are open-source and known for their clean, simple style.

TikTok and Discord do the same thing. They use the standard Unicode emojis but display them using their own custom-designed image sets to maintain a consistent brand aesthetic within their apps. So, when you use the 👍 emoji on TikTok, you're seeing TikTok's version of the standard "Thumbs Up" symbol.

The Exception: Discord Custom Emojis (Emotes)

Discord takes things a step further with a feature that truly is platform-specific: custom server emotes.

• What are they? Server owners can upload their own custom images to be used as emojis within that server. These are often memes, inside jokes, or custom artwork related to the server's community.
• How they work: These are not Unicode emojis. They are custom images that only work on Discord. If you have a Discord Nitro subscription, you can even use your favorite custom emotes from one server in any other server or direct message.

So, while Discord uses standard emojis with its own style for general communication, its custom emotes are a unique feature that sets it apart.

Find Any Emoji, For Any Platform

Whether you want to see how a standard emoji looks on different platforms or just find the perfect one for your next message, an emoji explorer is the best tool.

The BraveColors Emoji Explorer allows you to:

• Search for any official Unicode emoji by keyword.
• Discover new and interesting symbols across all categories.
• Copy any emoji with a single click to use it anywhere you want.

Understanding the difference between the universal standard and platform-specific styling helps demystify the vibrant and ever-evolving world of digital communication.