Emojis: Addressing the issues
Learn how to use emojis in a way that’s more accessible to everyone
Time estimate: 7 to 10 mins
This training helps:
Anyone who creates and manages content including social media, websites, emails, and digital marketing media.
- Content writers
- Marketers
- Social media managers
- Project managers
- … and more
Introduction
With more than 10 billion emojis shared daily worldwide, this means emoji accessibility isn’t a niche concern. Small improvements in how we use them can make a significant difference for accessibility and clarity.
Emojis should enhance your message, not replace essential information or create confusion. When used thoughtfully, they can add personality and emotion while remaining accessible to all users.
Place emojis at the end of content
The Problem: Replacing words with emojis creates confusion for screen readers, interrupts the flow of text, and may not read the emoji descriptor as intended by the creator.
The Solution: Add descriptive text and move emojis to the end of sentences. This allows users to understand the context before encountering the emoji.
For example, someone sends the following in a text message and the screen reader says: “It is sun behind rain cloud today.”
However, moving the emoji to the end of the sentence and adding more description results in the screen reader saying, “It is mostly sunny with a slight chance of rain today” then the emoji description “sun behind rain cloud”.
Replacing words with emojis
It is 🌦️ today.
Moving emojis to the end
It is mostly sunny with a slight chance of rain today🌦️
Limit the number of emojis
The Problem: Multiple or repeated emojis create repetitive, difficult-to-follow descriptions for screen reader users.
The Solution: Use up to three emojis per message. When using multiple emojis in a row, limit to no more than three. A general rule is to use up to three emojis in a single content. A single content could be an email, social media post, blog post, or web page.
Overuse of emojis
👏 👏 👏 Great job! 👏 👏 👏
Reduced number of emojis
Great job!👏
Avoid using emojis in usernames
The Problem: Emojis around usernames create noise every time that person posts. It also makes it harder to locate or search for the user by name.
The Solution: If you use emojis in usernames, place them at the end rather than surrounding the name.
Username with emojis around their name
🌟Jasmine✨
What a screen reader user hears:
“Glowing star Jasmine sparkles” every time Jasmine comments.
This adds unnecessary noise and makes it harder to locate or search for the user by name.
Username with emoji at the end
Jasmine 🌟
What a screen reader user hears:
“Jasmine glowing star” The name comes first, and the emoji is less disruptive to navigation and recognition.
Use proper list formatting
The Problem: Using emojis as bullet points adds lengthy descriptions before each list item, making lists harder to follow.
The Solution: Use standard HTML list formatting in websites, apps, and documents. On social media sites, use dashes or other keyboard-friendly symbols as bullets.
Checkbox emojis
✅ Item 1
✅ Item 2
✅ Item 3
Play the audio clip below for an example of what a screen reader says when emoji checkboxes are used as bullet points.
“Check mark button item one, check mark button item two, check mark button item three.”
Some emoji bullets can have a long description. The text in the bulleted list can get lost when the screen reader says the emoji description, then the list item repeatedly.
Pointing finger emojis
👉🏽 Get up
👉🏽 Breathe for one minute
👉🏽 Review task list for the day
Play the audio clip below for an example of what a screen reader says when pointing hand emojis are used as bullet points.
“Backhand index pointing right: medium-dark skin tone get up, backhand index pointing right: medium-dark skin tone breathe for one minute, backhand index pointing right: medium-dark skin tone review task list for the day.”
Emojis can enhance digital content, but they should be used thoughtfully to ensure clarity and accessibility. Always consider how screen readers, device differences, and individual user needs may affect interpretation.
The correct formatting will not add noise to the list like:
Use an unordered list
Get up
Breathe for one minute
Review task list for the day
Frequently asked questions
How do skin tones affect emoji accessibility?
Skin tones make the description of the emoji longer. Let’s use the thumbs up emoji as an example. The default skin tone is yellow. Screen readers never say “yellow.” Screen readers will identify👍using the default yellow as “thumbs up.”
If you change the skin tone, then it will say, “thumbs up [skin tone name]” For 👍🏾, it’s “thumbs up: medium-dark skin tone.”
The key is to understand how skin tones affect the description of the emoji to help you make informed choices. It’s meaningful and appropriate to use skin tones that represent you or your audience. Just be aware of how emojis impact screen reader descriptions when crafting your message. Hence, consider placing them after the text.
Also, know that darker emojis are harder to see in high contrast modes. This can affect the visibility of emojis.
Are there contexts where I should avoid emojis entirely?
Yes. Consider skipping emojis in:
- Formal business communications
- Legal or medical documents
- Emergency notifications
- Technical documentation
- Professional emails to external stakeholders
When in doubt, prioritize clarity.
What about emoji reactions on social media platforms?
Emoji reactions (like heart, laugh, and angry reactions) are generally accessible because they’re built into the platform’s functionality. They have consistent descriptions. However, be mindful that not everyone interprets these reactions the same way.
Takeaways
When using emojis, consider the following things
- Think about how screen readers describe emojis
- Know your audience
- Pay attention to context
- Avoid using a lot of emojis in a single message
- Recognize that not all emojis are universally understood
Thinking about these items to consider will ensure you use the right emoji for the situation. When in doubt, skip the emoji or use a simple one.
If you’re stuck, ask these questions:
- Will this emoji make sense to everyone, including people using screen readers or those unfamiliar with its meaning?
- Am I using too many emojis in a row or throughout the message that might overwhelm or distract readers?
- Could my message still be clear and effective without the emoji, or by placing it at the end?
- Have I replaced a word with an emoji that could confuse the meaning or disrupt how assistive technologies interpret the sentence?
Practice exercises
1. Which is an emoji accessibility best practice?
- 😀 ☀️ 👏 Username 🐯 🏎️ 🎩
- It is ❄️ today.
- Happy birthday! 🎉
The correct answer is C. Happy birthday! 🎉 The username example includes emojis before and after the username making it hard to identify the user. The other answer choice uses an emoji to replace an entire word. Not everyone will know what word is supposed to be represented by that emoji and a screen reader won’t say, “It is snowing today.” The screen reader would say, “It is snowflake today,” which does not make sense.
2. How will a screen reader most likely read the following emoji: 👋🏾
- Waving
- Waving hand: medium-dark skin tone
- Waving hand
- Hello hand
The correct answer is B. Waving hand: medium-dark skin tone. Screen readers rely on official Unicode descriptions to announce emojis. When an emoji includes a skin tone modifier, that detail is read aloud too. This can make even simple messages longer and harder to follow for assistive technology users. Understanding how emojis are described helps you make better choices in your digital content.
3. Using multiple emojis in a row is a good practice for accessibility.
- True
- False
The correct answer is B, False. Screen readers may read out each emoji, which can be confusing and disrupt the flow of the message. It can increase cognitive load and affect a user’s ability to understand the message quickly.
Resources
Related tools:
Related content:
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