heart color meanings
Julie Hambleton
Julie Hambleton
January 4, 2024 ·  5 min read

The Different Colors of Emoji Hearts Actually Have Different Meanings

Emojis are a modern-day language that has taken over the texting world. An emoji may not be worth a thousand words, but they can certainly summarize a few pretty effectively. One of the most commonly used is the heart emoji, which comes in a rainbow of colors. Each of those colors has a different meaning, and it’s important to know each of the heart color meanings when firing off text messages.

What do different heart colors mean?

We are all familiar with the heart emoji, which comes in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, and white. There are also several other styles of heart emoji, all of which give off their own vibes.

Knowing what they mean can help to prevent you from giving the wrong impression to the wrong person, or even accidentally offending someone. We’ve rounded them up for you to help clear the confusion so you can text away, worry-free.

Red Heart Meaning

3d hearts rotation. Realistic romantic emoji, red heart icon front and spin angle view. Wedding decor set. Object spin animation for gaming isolated on white

Let’s start with the classic red heart emoji. Of all the heart color meanings to know, this is the big one. The red heart emoji stands for love, but it doesn’t have to be used exclusively for messaging romantic partners. In general, the red heart emoji is used to express love, affection, gratitude, happiness, joy, and all the warm fuzzies that come with those.

Red hearts can be used between best friends and family, though if speaking to a crush you may want to avoid it at least for a little while. Especially when there are others to choose from that are less intense and therefore less likely to cause the sender to, well, freak out.

Orange Heart Meaning

Orange heart emoji isolated on white background. Emoticons symbol modern, simple, vector, printed on paper. icon for website design, mobile app, and UI. Vector Illustration

This heart emoji is one for people who are testing the waters and are too afraid to send a red heart emoji. If your crush sends you this, it means they’re into you but are afraid to express it.

Yellow Heart Meaning

Yellow Heart Emoji Icon Object Symbol Gradient Vector Art Design Cartoon Isolated Background

The yellow heart can signify happiness, positivity, and hope, as well as love. Typically this heart is better used for friendship and family. This one probably isn’t the best to send to a crush, because you could be sending the message that you are only interested in friendship.

Green Heart Meaning

Green Heart Emoji Vector

This heart can sometimes be used for environmental initiatives, but most often it is used for volunteering.

Blue Heart Meaning

Blue Heart Emoji Vector

Typically, blue hearts are used for acquaintances or new, more surface-level friendships. Once you get to know that person better and they become closer friends, you will use a different color.

Purple Heart Meaning

Purple heart emoji isolated on white background. Emoticons symbol modern, simple, vector, printed on paper. icon for website design, mobile app, and UI. Vector Illustration

The purple has a few different meanings:

  • Romantic love and sexual attraction
  • Glamour and wealth
  • Support for soldiers
  • A booty call
  • A love for the color purple

The meaning will typically depend on the context in which you are using it. For example, a glamorous photo of you on vacation could warrant the use of a purple heart, but it could also be used in a more somber post showing support for veterans.

Brown Heart Meaning

Chocolate Heart Love Emoji Icon Object. Symbol Gradient Vector Art Design Cartoon Isolated Background.

This brown heart can be used to express a calm love, likeness, romance, and other emotions. Some even use it to represent brown heart-shaped chocolate. Right now, however, the brown heart is one that is generally used by those whose skin tone is black or brown and to show support for Black Lives Matter. If white people wish to show their support to the BLM movement and other human rights causes in regards to race, it’s probably a better idea to stick to the tried-and-true red heart emoji.

Black Heart Meaning

The black heart can also have a variety of meanings. It can represent sadness or darker emotions, for example, you may send a black heart to a friend who is going through a difficult time. Some also say that it is for love even stronger than red heart emoji love, reserving it for your fiance, spouse, or in general your soul mate.

The black heart emoji, of course, can also be used in conjunction with the Black Lives Matter movement.

White Heart Meaning

Black heart emoji isolated on white background. Emoticons symbol modern, simple, vector, printed on paper. icon for website design, mobile app, and UI. Vector Illustration

The heart color meaning for the white heart emoji is a good one to know. The white heart is typically used to express sympathy towards someone after the death of a loved one.

Other Meanings

All of this aside, certain colors are associated with other movements, such as specific diseases and cancers. For example, green is associated with Lyme disease, pink is associated with breast cancer. They can also be used to express love or pride in an organization, for example using colored hearts that coincide with your school colors.

Also, if used all together, the hearts are synonymous with supporting LGBTQ+ rights.

Other Heart Emojis

Beyond just different colors, there are also other heart designs that can send a different message to the receiver.

The Broken Heart

Broken Red Heart Emoji Vector. The isolated vector red love heart broken in two emoji icon, breaking heart, brokenhearted.

It sort of goes without saying what this one represents: grief, loss, and other setbacks. It can, however, be used in a more playful over-exaggeration of situations. This of course is all contextual.

Sparkling Heart

Red Sparkling Heart Emoji

This emoji shows love and affection in combination with a playful, happy, or sweet tone. It can also be used to express starry-eyed love, as well as peace on earth and goodwill.

Revolving Hearts

Revolving Pink Hearts Love Emoji Icon

This can be used to represent reciprocal love. It can also be used to express excited or dizzying type of love.

Double Hearts

Emoji of two hearts representing couple love

This can be used for romantic love, but can also be used for other close relationships such as best friends or family.

Beating Heart

Beating Heart Love Emoji Icon Object Symbol.

The beating or pulsing heart is used for passionate love. It can express happiness in love, excitement, as well as borderline obsession.

Growing Heart

Growing Heart Love Emoji Icon Object Symbol

This is used to express when someone is overwhelmed with love, pride, and joy for someone else. It can be used quite literally when your heart feels (figuratively) like it’s swelling with love and pride for someone else.

In general, people will take different meanings depending on context and their own experience from your texts. If you are trying to express something serious to someone, perhaps an actual phone call, where things like tone and meaning are less likely to be misconstrued, is a better option.

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