👋 Emoji Skin Tones Explained
Where emoji skin tones come from, why the default is yellow, how to choose a tone on every major device, and how couples and handshakes can mix two different tones.
Emoji skin tones let you choose how people and hands look in your messages, from light to dark. Instead of drawing every person emoji five times, Unicode uses a clever system of modifiers that can be attached to hundreds of emojis. This guide explains how emoji skin tones work, where the five shades come from, why the default is yellow, and how to pick a tone on your phone or computer.
How emoji skin tones work
Skin tones were added to the Unicode Standard in version 8.0, released in 2015, and they are part of Emoji 2.0. Rather than creating separate emojis, Unicode introduced five special characters called skin tone modifiers. When one of them follows a supported emoji, the two combine into a single image.
For example, 👋 Waving Hand followed by the medium skin tone modifier displays as one waving hand in a medium tone. If a device does not support that combination, you may see the default hand followed by a small colored square instead.
The five tones and the Fitzpatrick scale
The five modifiers are based on the Fitzpatrick scale, a classification dermatologists use to describe skin types. The scale has six types; the emoji system combines the two lightest into one, giving five tones.
| Modifier name | Fitzpatrick type | Code point |
|---|---|---|
| Light skin tone | Types I–II | U+1F3FB |
| Medium-light skin tone | Type III | U+1F3FC |
| Medium skin tone | Type IV | U+1F3FD |
| Medium-dark skin tone | Type V | U+1F3FE |
| Dark skin tone | Type VI | U+1F3FF |
The default yellow
When no modifier is used, people and hand emojis appear in a non-realistic color, which most platforms draw as a bright yellow like the classic smiley faces. The idea is that the default is generic rather than representing any particular skin color. Many people simply stick with the default; others prefer a tone that matches their own skin. Both are completely normal choices.
How to choose a skin tone on each device
iPhone and iPad
Open the emoji keyboard, then touch and hold an emoji that supports skin tones, such as 👍 Thumbs Up. A row of tones pops up; slide to the one you want and release.
Android
On Gboard and most other Android keyboards, long-press a supported emoji to see the tone options. Some keyboards mark emojis that have variants with a small indicator.
Windows
Press Win + . to open the emoji panel and use its skin tone selector. Windows applies your chosen tone to every supported emoji until you change it. See our full guide to typing emojis on Windows.
Mac
Press Control + Command + Space to open the emoji picker, then click and hold a supported emoji to choose a tone. More tips are in our guide to typing emojis on a Mac.
On Emojis Keyboard
The Emojis Keyboard emoji keyboard has skin tone buttons next to the search box. Pick a tone and every compatible emoji updates instantly, ready to copy. Your choice is remembered next time you visit.
Which emojis support skin tones?
Skin tones apply to emojis that show human skin. In the current emoji set, more than 300 emojis support them, mostly in the People & Body category. They include:
- Hands and gestures, such as 🙏 Folded Hands, 👌 OK Hand and 🫶 Heart Hands. Browse them all in our hand emojis collection.
- Body parts, such as 💪 Flexed Biceps, 👂 Ear and 👃 Nose.
- People and roles, such as 👶 Baby, 🧑💻 Technologist and 🎅 Santa Claus.
- Activities, such as 🏃 Person Running and 💃 Woman Dancing.
Some emojis do not support skin tones at all. Smiley faces like 😂 Face with Tears of Joy stay yellow, and so do emojis such as 👀 Eyes, 🫂 People Hugging, 👪 Family and fantasy characters like 🧟 Zombie.
Multi-person emojis with mixed skin tones
Early skin tone support applied one tone to a whole emoji, which did not work well for emojis showing two people. Later updates allowed each person to have their own tone:
- 🧑🤝🧑 People Holding Hands, along with 👭 Women Holding Hands, 👫 Woman and Man Holding Hands and 👬 Men Holding Hands, gained mixed tones in Emoji 12.0 (2019).
- 💏 Kiss and 💑 Couple with Heart followed in Emoji 13.1 (2020).
- 🤝 Handshake got tone support, including two different hands, in Emoji 14.0 (2021).
On most phones you choose each person's tone separately from the long-press menu. Older devices may not display mixed-tone combinations correctly and can show them as separate emojis.
Tips for using skin tones
- Use what feels right. There is no rule that you must use a tone, or a particular one.
- Check older devices. Newer combinations can break apart on outdated systems.
- Know the meanings too. Skin tones change how an emoji looks, not what it means. Our emoji meanings guide covers the meanings.
FAQ
How many emoji skin tones are there?
There are five skin tone modifiers, from light to dark, plus the default non-realistic yellow.
When were emoji skin tones introduced?
They were introduced in Unicode 8.0 in 2015, as part of Emoji 2.0.
Why do I see a colored square next to an emoji?
Your device or app does not support that skin tone combination, so it shows the base emoji and the tone modifier separately.
Can two people in one emoji have different skin tones?
Yes, for emojis like people holding hands, couples, kisses and the handshake, on platforms that support the newer combinations.