The red heart emoji ❤️ means love, but it also covers gratitude, happiness, support and plain appreciation. Emojipedia calls it historically the most popular heart emoji by a considerable distance, and the twist most people miss is its official Unicode name: 'Heavy Black Heart', a label from before colour emojis existed.
The red heart is the default way to say 'I love this' online. It's on reaction menus, in captions, in texts to family and under posts from strangers. That range is exactly why it can feel intense in some contexts and casual in others. Here's what it means, where it came from, what it does on Snapchat, and when to use it.
Love, and a lot more
Emojipedia describes the red heart as a classic red love heart, traditionally used for love and romance across many cultures, which is among its most frequent uses. But it adds that the red heart is also often used for non-romantic positive feelings, partly because it's one of the default reaction options on many messaging platforms, such as Instagram, Slack and WhatsApp.
Dictionary.com lists gratitude, love, happiness, hope and even flirtatiousness as uses. It points to the famous 'I love New York' slogan, now often written 'I ❤️ NY', where the heart stands in for the word love. A text saying 'I ❤️ u' can be read as 'I love you' or 'I heart you'.
Why its official name says black heart
Emojipedia explains that the red heart was approved as part of Unicode 1.1 in 1993 under the name 'Heavy Black Heart', and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015. The Unicode Consortium lists it with the code point U+2764. The 'black' in the name doesn't mean the colour black. Emojipedia notes the name pre-dates colour emoji, when 'black' referred to a solid, filled heart character.
That's why the red heart is older than almost every other emoji you use. It started life as a text symbol and only later became the colourful emoji we know.
The most popular heart
Emojipedia's research on heart use found that the red heart was the most popular heart emoji on Twitter, followed by two hearts, the purple heart and the blue heart. Its research also found that simple red hearts tend to appear alongside smiley faces, while other colour hearts tend to be used together in rows.
The same research looked at whether one red heart is more 'masculine' than the other, after the singer John Mayer suggested it, comparing ❤️ red heart with ♥️ heart suit. It's a fun reminder that people read a lot into small design differences. Emojipedia also notes that a similar emoji exists for the heart suit in a deck of playing cards.
The red heart on Snapchat
On Snapchat, the red heart has a specific meaning. Emojipedia and Dictionary.com both say it appears next to a friend when you've been each other's number one best friends for two consecutive weeks. That's a different signal from a red heart in a message, and it often surprises people who see it appear next to a name.
If you're comparing Snapchat's heart signals, my guide to the Snapchat best friends list explains how those rankings work.
How many hearts, and where
Dictionary.com notes that the number of hearts varies, and more hearts add emphasis. It also points out a popular style: framing a statement with a heart at both the beginning and the end, which signals that the message should be read in an uplifting, loving tone. People also use red hearts in profiles to highlight a relationship or something they love.
| How it's used | Example | How it reads |
|---|---|---|
| One heart at the end | 'See you soon ❤️' | Warm, affectionate |
| Several hearts | 'Congratulations ❤️❤️❤️' | Big emphasis, excitement |
| Framing a message | '❤️ So proud of you ❤️' | Uplifting, loving |
| As a reaction | Tapping ❤️ on a message | Liked, appreciated |
| In place of love | 'I ❤️ pizza' | Playful |
These are made-up messages to show how it's used, not real chats:
- 'Love you, night ❤️' Romantic or family love.
- 'Thank you so much ❤️' Gratitude.
- '❤️ Happy anniversary ❤️' A framed, loving message.
- 'I ❤️ this café' Playful love for a place.
When a red heart is too much
Because red hearts are tied to romance, they can feel too strong with new contacts, colleagues or clients. A red heart reaction to a coworker's update is usually fine, since many apps make it a default reaction. A red heart at the end of a private message to someone you've just met can read as flirting.
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If you want warmth without romance, a yellow, blue or green heart is safer. Emojipedia's research found that people often use those colour hearts together for friendly, upbeat messages.
Using the red heart on a brand account
Brands use the red heart all the time to thank customers and react to kind comments, and that's fine. A ❤️ reaction says 'we saw this and appreciate it' in one tap. Just avoid using it on complaints, where it can look like you didn't read the message. For a wider view of reactions, my list of the most popular emojis is a good reference.
A final note on reactions: on apps where the red heart is a one-tap reaction, it often means 'seen and liked' rather than 'love'. Read it in that lighter way unless the message around it says more.
And if you're ever unsure, look at how the other person uses hearts. Matching their style is usually the safest choice, whether that's one red heart, a row of colours or none at all.
My take on the red heart
The red heart is the classic for a reason. It's old, it's popular and it carries real warmth. Use it freely with people you love and for heartfelt thanks, choose a softer colour with new contacts, and enjoy knowing its official name still says black.
Frequently asked questions
What does the red heart emoji mean?
Love, but also gratitude, happiness, support and appreciation.
Why is the red heart called heavy black heart?
The name pre-dates colour emoji, when black meant a solid, filled heart character.
What does a red heart mean on Snapchat?
You've been each other's number one best friends for two weeks in a row.
Is the red heart romantic?
Often, but it's also widely used as a friendly reaction.
When was the red heart emoji created?
It was approved in Unicode 1.1 in 1993 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015.
