EmojiThere is no official meaning for each colour of heart. The meanings below are how many people use them, and they differ by group, country and age. Use them as a guide, not a rule.
| Heart | Common use |
|---|---|
| ❤️ red | Love, affection, strong thanks. For a partner, but also used for family and friends. |
| 🧡 orange | Warm friendship, energy; often used for festivals and sunsets. |
| 💛 yellow | Friendship, happiness, sunshine; usually not romantic. |
| 💚 green | Nature, growth, health, luck; also used by sports fans and for eco themes. |
| 💙 blue | Calm, trust, loyalty; also a team colour. |
| 💜 purple | Care, creativity, support; used by fans of music acts and for kindness. |
| 🤍 white | Pure, peaceful, remembrance; sometimes used in weddings and condolence messages. |
| 🖤 black | Dark humour, grief or a stylish, cool tone, depending on context. |
| 🤎 brown | Warmth and comfort, often for food, coffee and autumn. |
| 💔 broken | Heartbreak or sadness. |
| 🩷 pink | Soft affection, tenderness, sweetness. |
| 🩵 light blue | Gentle calm and friendship. |
Choosing a heart
- To friends and family: yellow, orange and purple feel warm without being romantic.
- To a partner: red or pink is usual.
- At work: avoid hearts with clients unless you know them well. A thumbs up is safer.
- In condolence messages: choose a quiet heart such as white, or no emoji at all.
Pairing hearts with words
A heart is warmest next to a few real words: "Thank you for coming ❤️" lands better than a row of hearts alone. Use one heart per message for most people. A close friend may enjoy several; a client may find even one too much.
When the colour matters
Colours often follow a team, a school, a flag or a festival: green for a sports side, saffron-like orange for a festival, white for a quiet moment. If you want everyone to read the same thing, pick red for love and yellow for friendship, and explain a surprising choice in words.
See the full list in the smileys group. For more on hand symbols read hand gestures.