Emojis are used to express all sorts of emotions, and perhaps the most expressive ones are the colorful heart emojis, but what are all the heart color meanings?
Most of the time, we’re clueless about when to use heart emojis or when it is wrong to send one in a specific color. After all, sending inappropriate heart emojis can get us in trouble or in a very awkward situation.
You never know what message you could be sending through hearts! But don’t worry; our post will help you figure out which hearts to use and when to use them.
Which heart should you send to a friend, which heart can you send to grandma, and which should you avoid sending to your crush?
The world of heart emoticons and their meanings can be hard to navigate, but we’ve compiled a list of 20 hearts and their meanings to help you use the best one every time you text!
So keep reading to discover the heart color meanings and when to use them.
Fun Fact About Heart Emojis
According to emojipedia, the most popular heart emoji on X is the red heart. It isn’t surprising as the red heart emoji is one of the most passionate heart emoticons.
However, each heart emoji also tells a story, so what does each heart mean, and what are the heart color meanings of the world’s most widely used heart emojis? Let’s take a look at them!
Heart Color Meanings
Red Heart ❤️
The red heart emoticon is the most widely used of all the hearts and can send mixed signals.
The red heart expresses gratitude, happiness, hope, and love. However, this heart emoji also means true love, passion, and romance, so you don’t just want to send a platonic friend a bunch of red hearts.
When to use the red heart:
You can use the red heart with your closest friends and loved ones, both relatives and in a romantic context.
If you’ve been dating someone for a long time, you may want to shower them with red hearts, but this can be boring, so add some heart eye emojis 😍 and a few faces blowing a kiss 😘 to spice things up.
When to avoid using the red heart:
The red heart should not be sent to acquaintances or used in casual relationships.
You don’t want to give someone the wrong idea, right? You may end up with an unwanted date night request or, even worse, a cheap box of chocolates and a sappy romantic gesture.
Read next: 91 Quotes About Color to Invigorate Your Day
Orange Heart 🧡
The heart color meaning of the orange heart is comfort, care, and serenity. The orange heart emoticon is also commonly used to show love, admiration, and support.
However, the orange heart is not the most meaningful of all the hearts, so you wouldn’t want to use it when telling someone you love them.
When to use the orange heart:
The orange heart expresses love for all things orange, like a picture of fall leaves or an orange sweater.
Orange can also be used in a non-committed relationship and signifies being friend-zoned.
Let’s be honest: the orange heart emoticon is only exciting if you love orange, so stick to adding it to captions of images with orange things.
When to avoid using the orange heart:
Avoid using the orange heart for romantic relationships or serious situations like losing a loved one.
The orange heart is known to be a mood killer. It can destroy a conversation within seconds, so avoid using it at all costs unless you’re showing love toward something orange!
Yellow Heart 💛
The heart color meanings conveyed through the yellow heart include friendship and happiness.
In addition, the yellow heart expresses support and love for all things yellow. The yellow heart is like sunshine and a warm hug, making your day slightly brighter.
When to use the yellow heart:
The yellow heart emoticon is used when showing friendship and expressing happiness. You can send this heart to friends and relatives but keep it far away from serious relationships.
The yellow heart is excellent when it is used to show love for all things yellow or when you want to instantly friendzone someone who just won’t catch the hint that you’re just not into them.
When to avoid using the yellow heart:
Yellow heart emojis should not be sent to a crush or anyone you have a romantic relationship with unless you’re trying to break up with them, but don’t do that over text; that’s just mean. Instead, save the yellow heart for your besties.
Green Heart 💚
The heart emoji meaning of the green heart is related to the environment, nature, keeping the earth clean, and going green.
If you get texted a green heart, it’s a friendly hello. It has no romantic connotations, so don’t get the wrong idea if your crush sends you a green heart; I’m sorry, but they may not be into you.
Green hearts are not demonstrations of their undying love for you; they are simply a friendly “hello.”
When to use the green heart emoji:
The green heart is for environmental activities, as a symbol of going green, or for nature activities like hiking and gardening.
Green hearts can be sent to friends, especially those who adore green.
When to avoid using the green heart:
The green heart should not be used when speaking to someone who doesn’t know much about emojis or in a romantic context.
The green heart should be used sparingly. Green is associated with jealousy, and just typing a text with controversial information and a green heart can get you in trouble.
Blue Heart 💙
The blue heart is a neutral heart used in a patriotic context. The blue heart represents trust, friendship, loyalty, happiness, and admiration.
The blue heart also depicts smurfs and autism awareness, pretty much like the blue pumpkins during Halloween. Blue is also associated with cold, ice, and winter.
So if you’re in a relationship, be cautious of using a blue heart; it may communicate to your significant other to back off.
When to use the blue heart emoji:
The blue heart can be used in casual conversations, in support of patriotic events or days like the 4th of July (together with red and white hearts), or showing your support for autism.
It’s an emoji that works well in those Instagram and Facebook posts on Patriotic days and when you’re giving your partner the cold shoulder.
When to avoid using the blue heart:
The blue heart is versatile and can be used in almost any context.
Avoid using the blue heart when you want to show compassion and understanding, as people may mistake you for being an ice queen (or king), and you can do better than sending a blue heart to someone you care about!
Purple Heart 💜
The purple heart color meaning is a representation of close bonds, admiration, love, and support of all things purple.
The color purple is associated with desire and longing, so you’ll want to avoid sending this heart to family members; this will be very awkward.
In addition, the purple heart emoji is specifically used in reference to the Purple Heart medal awarded by the U.S. Armed Forces and frequently used by the fandom of the K-pop boy band BTS.
When to use the purple heart emoji:
The purple heart can be sent to a romantic partner to express sensuality.
Also, if you haven’t seen your partner in a while and miss them, you can use the purple heart to express your desire to have them with you, along with a few other naughty emojis that we won’t mention here.
When to avoid using the purple heart:
Avoid sending the purple heart to anyone but your partner.
If you’ve been sending lots of purple hearts to those you know, you could be conveying the wrong message, and you may have already received some embarrassing unwanted attention.
So skip sending those little purple hearts, and maybe send a smiley the next time around.
Black Heart 🖤
The black heart emoji meaning is sadness, irony, feeling emo, and a morbid sense of humor. Still, it can also be used for love, depending on the relationship, especially your best friends.
Recently, the black heart has also been used to support Black Lives Matter.
Besides this, the black heart communicates a relaxed, carefree, and rebellious side, so use it when rocking a little black dress or that thick layer of eyeliner in your Facebook and Instagram posts.
When to use the black heart:
The black heart can be used to show affection in some relationships. However, the black heart emoji can also be used when sad or communicating sadness or loss.
If you love the color black and the black heart, you can use it in texts to friends and loved ones, but you don’t want to overdo it, even if you want to be just like Wednesday Adams.
When to avoid using the black heart:
Avoid using the black heart for casual dating relationships and new friendships and to express your undying love for someone.
Even if you’re considering using a black heart to show your heart is empty and broken after a serious breakup, you may want to reconsider overusing it; you don’t want to seem like the victim but rather someone ready for a new adventure.
White Heart 🤍
The white heart represents love in its purest form, love between a parent and child, emotional support, and bonds between close friends, and is sent when someone loses a loved one.
A white heart is beautiful and timeless, but if it is not something you want to send daily, add a few colorful hearts to add more excitement to your texts.
When to use the white heart emoji:
The white heart should be sent to someone who has lost a loved one.
If you’re in a romantic relationship and are considering using a white heart, opt for a red heart and a few more creative emojis instead. You want to express your love, not just add a random white heart because it’s different.
When to avoid using the white heart:
The white heart should not be used when expressing love and passion. A white heart isn’t exciting or captivating, and it is not going to help you get Mr. Right or Mrs. Right, so if you’re being flirty, this heart is a big no-no.
But, on the other hand, if you’re taking a selfie with a soft, white, cuddly bunny, then the white heart is perfect.
Brown Heart 🤎
The brown heart emoji is used by Black and brown people, BIPOC communities in general, to celebrate identities and culture.
This heart is not often used but, in most instances, shows solidarity. The brown heart is also quite unattractive from a romantic point of view, so use it sparingly.
When to use the brown heart:
The brown heart should only be used to show solidarity and support for racial equality, especially when used with the black heart.
It’s not a great heart to express love, though, and it is also a good idea to use it when posting images of nature.
When to avoid using the brown heart:
The brown heart should also be used thoughtfully and cautiously when supporting racial equality to avoid offending anyone. It’s not a fun emoji to use.
Broken Heart 💔
The broken heart emoji meaning is a breakup, the longing you feel when missing someone you love and feeling heartbroken.
This is one of the most overused emojis, and I’m sure you’ve seen many people using it during a breakup.
When to use the broken heart:
A broken heart emoji can express a breakup, loss, pain, and heartache related to a romantic relationship.
This heart emoji is pretty depressing, so although it conveys your heartache, you don’t want to overdo it.
Rather, use it sparingly and add a few more upbeat emojis to represent your newfound freedom.
When to avoid using the broken heart:
The broken heart emoji can also be seen as asking for attention and should be used sparingly.
It is best not to use the broken heart a lot as it could lose its meaning, and you could get known as a very dramatic and emotional person.
Heart On Fire ❤️🔥
A heart on fire expresses passion, burning love, and infatuation. However, the heart on fire is also used to represent extreme desire and lust.
If there’s an emoji that is pretty hot and can really steam up those texts, it’s the heart on fire emoji.
This emoji may be too much for some people and should come with a warning label!
When to use the heart on fire:
The heart on fire should be used to display passion, desire, and an intense burning love for your partner.
This is not the kind of heart you want to send to your mom. The flames and the heart in this emoji are reserved for all things passionate and are usually found in texts you want to keep to yourself.
When to avoid using the heart on fire:
The heart on fire emoji should only be used when expressing passion and desire, not in casual relationships.
If you have a friends-with-benefits relationship, stick to the other heart emojis and avoid this one like the plague. The heart on fire emoji is reserved for passionate relationships only.
Bandaged Heart ❤️🩹
The bandaged heart can indicate the healing of a broken heart, recovery, or comfort and support for someone going through a challenging time.
The mending heart just exudes a victim-type portrayal of yourself, so you may want to go easy on using this emoji.
When to use the bandaged heart:
To show you are healing or to send to loved ones or family to show your support in their challenging times.
The bandaged heart can be sent to someone who has helped heal your heart and can be a great way to communicate how their love has impacted your life.
When to avoid using the bandaged heart:
Avoid sending the bandaged heart to those with whom you don’t have a good relationship.
You should avoid sending this heart when you’re feeling sad at 3 a.m. and want to text your ex to show them that you’ve moved on; I know it’s a bad idea, but you know it’s a bad idea, so just don’t do it.
Exclamation Point Heart ❣️
The exclamation point heart is a fun and flirty heart emoji. It shows excitement. This heart is also like falling in love and floating in a cloud of hearts.
When to use the exclamation point heart:
The exclamation point heart can be used with friends and family to show excitement.
The exclamation heart can also be used to show your significant other that you adore them or wholeheartedly support any ideas they have!
When to avoid using the exclamation point heart:
The heart exclamation should not be used in serious conversations or with acquaintances.
This cute heart is reserved for special conversations and should not be sent to someone you are just having coffee with.
Two Static Pink Hearts 💕
The static pair of hearts shows appreciation and can be used in any context. This adorable heart combo is perfect for texts with your bestie and showing your love towards those closest to you.
When to use the two static pink heart emoji:
The static pair of hearts is best used when communicating with your friends, but this cute heart combo can also show your love for the color pink and is adorable in captions alongside nature pics.
When to avoid using the static pair of hearts:
Avoid using static hearts to convey love or passion. These cute hearts are best shared between friends and may give your significant other the wrong idea when sent to them.
Orbiting Pair Of Hearts 💞
Orbiting hearts demonstrate understanding towards one another and show open communication between two people. This is a great emoji for expressing good communication in a relationship.
When to use the orbiting pair of hearts:
Orbiting heart emojis can be used to apologize and forgive and are good when used in deep conversations.
If you’ve just had a fight with your bae and have made it up, then it’s the perfect emoji to show you’re on the same page.
When to avoid using the orbiting pair of hearts:
An orbiting pair of emoji hearts should not be used in casual conversations or small talk but should be reserved for special heart-to-hearts.
Beating Heart 💓
This vibrating heart symbolizes a beating heart and is used to show love or that your heart beats for another. This cute heart is the perfect emoji to send to your crush.
When to use the vibrating heart:
In romantic relationships, you should only use the vibrating heart to show your love for someone and symbolize how your heart beats for them.
This heart is also great when commenting on a picture of your crush.
When to avoid using the vibrating heart:
You should only use the vibrating heart emoji in romantic relationships. This is not a heart you want to send to a friend and is too special to be sent to anyone.
Growing Heart 💗
The growing heart emoji symbolizes a love that is growing. It represents positive emotions that cause your heart to grow or an outpouring of love.
When to use the growing heart:
The growing heart can be used to show your growing love and affection towards someone and in an apology.
This heart is great if you messed up and is an excellent way to say you’re sorry.
When to avoid using the growing heart:
You should avoid using the growing heart emoji in direct conversations or when trying to be straightforward.
This heart can be used with loved ones but isn’t the best for romantic relationships and should not be used when telling your bae that you’re excited about date night.
Sparkling Heart 💖
The sparkling heart is cute and fun and can be used to show affection. It’s also glamorous and works well in captions with photos of anything sparkly.
When to use the sparkling heart:
The sparkling heart shows peace, glamour, and playfulness. The sparkling heart is a cute, girly emoji and is perfect alongside anything new, bright, or shiny.
If you’ve just gotten engaged, this heart can be used in a caption with a picture of your blinged-out ring.
When to avoid using the sparkling heart:
You can use the sparkling heart in most instances, and it’s tough to go wrong when using it; it’s an every-occasion kind of heart.
Heart With An Arrow 💘
A heart with an arrow emoji means love, romance, falling in love, and desire. This heart emoji is commonly sent in texts when first dating and is an excellent emoji for Valentine’s Day.
When to use the heart with an arrow:
The heart with an arrow is perfect when dating someone and in a flirtatious text. This can take your relationship to the next level and is an excellent emoji for showing you’re in love with someone.
When to avoid using the heart with an arrow:
You should not use a heart with an arrow for platonic friendships; this will definitely get you into trouble and may make your friend second guess your relationship.
Heart Wrapped In Ribbon 💝
A heart wrapped in ribbon symbolizes giving your heart to someone as a present.
So if you’re ready to take the next big step in your relationship, this is a great emoji to symbolize gifting your heart to your significant other.
When to use the heart wrapped in the ribbon:
You should only use the heart wrapped in ribbon if you want to give your heart as a gift. This is not the emoji you send to an ex unless you want to rekindle that relationship.
When to avoid using the heart wrapped in the ribbon:
Avoid using the heart wrapped in ribbon in casual relationships, friendships, and with family members; this heart emoji is just too special to be overused and should be kept for someone you genuinely love.
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