Google appears to be rolling out its new Noto 3D emojis to older Android phones. Introduced with Android 17 and the Pixel 11 series, the redesigned emojis add depth and a three-dimensional look, which Google says makes them better at expressing emotions and gives them a more distinctive appearance. Android users have long complained that their emojis look plain and bland compared with competing platforms, so the new design has been widely anticipated.
Until now, the emojis have been largely exclusive to the Pixel 11 series. A Reddit user, spotted by 9to5Google, reports that the new Noto 3D emojis have appeared on their Pixel 6a. They say their emoji selection was updated to show the new designs and believe the change arrived through a system update rather than a Gboard update.
The rollout does not appear widespread yet. Android Central checked a Pixel 9a and a Pixel 9 Pro, both running the latest Android 17 software, and neither has received the new emojis, even after installing the latest Google Play system update. Still, the Pixel 6a report suggests Google may have begun a gradual rollout that could reach more devices over the coming days or weeks.
Google has already announced plans to bring the new emoji designs to its apps and to devices from several Android manufacturers, including Nothing, Lenovo, Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Honor, and Motorola.
Source: Android Central · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing