Alphabet’s Google rolls out Noto 3D emoji, bringing thousands of icons into a new three-dimensional design language

On World Emoji Day, Alphabet’s Google used the moment to spotlight a more technical kind of design work behind one of the internet’s most common shorthand languages. The company described a redesign of its Noto emoji library into three dimensions, saying it has reimagined almost 4,000 emoji with “richer expressions,” improved accessibility, and a new 3D approach built for modern communication.

Google framed the update as an effort to match how emoji are used today, where users rely on them to carry tone and subtext rather than literal meaning. It described emoji as having evolved from simple pictures into a tool for indicating complex feelings and for softening blunt messages, citing examples such as shifting preferences around different laughing and heartbreak expressions.

A key part of the rollout is a new 3D library built on what Google described as Noto Emoji 3D, which it said is fully available as true 3D models. Google described the character set as “all 3,977 characters” and said the redesign extends beyond visual refreshes, requiring design decisions that account for how emoji will look from different angles and on different displays.

The company said it made accessibility improvements, including “new high-contrast options for dark mode.” It also said it used an AI-powered contrast tool that analyzes each emoji at the pixel level, flags when contrast ratios are too low, and suggests higher-contrast solutions that designers then implement.

On the usage side, Google said emoji trends have shifted over time, using internal analytics from Gboard Federated Analytics. It reported that the “face with tears of joy” (😂) had long been the “emoji king,” then declined in popularity by 2025, slipping down the charts, before “😭” (often read as overwhelming sadness) rose as a more accurate fit for modern hyperbole that mixes hilarity with devastation.

Google also described changes in heartbreak-related emoji preferences, saying its data show a “poetic migration” away from the broken heart (💔) toward the wilted flower (🥀). The company positioned the redesign as an update that better supports the modern vocabulary of emoji, where users combine exaggeration, irony, and overwhelm to avoid misunderstandings.

Designing in 3D, Google said, forced it to address “architectural questions” that flat, two-dimensional icons do not raise, such as what the “back of a smiley face” should look like and whether the form should behave like a concave mask, a solid object, or a flat surface. The company said it intends for the results to preserve an illustrated look rather than move toward photorealism, noting that 3D emoji need “dimension without being photorealistic,” with “a pulse and a soul” rather than the look of industrial CAD models.

Google also said it ran large-scale user studies to test how changing emoji could affect connection and comprehension, reporting “unmasked universal truths” including a preference for full-body animals over floating heads and that adding props can hurt understanding. It also said minor details matter, citing an example where small changes such as the direction of a wink could flip mild confusion into accidental outrage.

Beyond its own products, Google said it is handing over the 3D assets to the community by making the Noto portfolio open source, including “ files.” It said developers and creators can download the models to build projects, memes, indie apps, or immersive experiences such as VR worlds. The company’s emphasis on downloadable model files indicates that the emoji update is not only meant for end users, but also as a platform asset that others can remix.