WhatsApp uses emojis as emoticons to use in chat, the standard for all, and equal.WhatsApp has chosen to ignore the native emoji integrated into Android in favor of Apple’s Emoji graphics.
This means that those who have an Android smartphone will find different faces and symbols in Whatsapp compared to other applications such as SMS (The standard Android faces are found by pressing and holding the Enter key).
The Emoji characters of Whatsapp are grouped into 5 categories and are visible, large, on this page of the Emojipedia website where the meaning of all Whatsapp emoticons is also indicated.
Unlike Facebook Messenger, in the Whatsapp application, there are no stickers and there is no integration with other applications so, in fact, for Emoji and smilies, what Whatsapp offers is rather poor.
Fortunately, it is possible, by downloading and installing external applications, add different Emoji and Emoticon A Whatsapp, both on Android smartphones (Samsung, HTC, LG, Asus, Motorola, etc.), both on the iPhone.READ ALSO: Enable Emoji smilies in messages on Android, iPhone, and iPadAdd Whatsapp Emoticons on Android
The easiest way to write Emoticons of any kind on Whatsapp chat is by installing a keyboard app different than the default.
Once installed the Emoji keyboard, when a Whatsapp chat opens, press and hold on the space bar (or in some cases the Enter key) until the popup appears to change the keyboard and choose the Emoji one.
On some keyboard apps like SwiftKey and above all GBoard id Google you can press a key in the lower right corner with a drawing of a keyboard or insert Emoji keeping pressed Submit.
Then choose the one of the Emoji and press the button with the smiley face to browse through the various emoticons (the key is on the keyboard, not the one on the left of the writing box which is instead of Whatsapp with the standard emoticons).
Of course, those who receive it do not need to have the app installed and will see the emoticon normally on their phone.
After installing the app, you can go back to using the standard keyboard, Google, Samsung, or Swiftkey, e find additional Emoji imported from installed apps.
One of the most popular in the Google store is Emoji Keyboard Pro, full of smilies, compositions of already preconfigured emoticons, and, above all, emotional GIF images or animated images are taken from films that can be used to express one’s mood of the moment.
Other keyboards to have more particular emoticons are Cute Emoji Keyboard and KK Emoji, which also includes the caching that laughs and several funny faces.
Add Emoticons in Whatsapp on iPhone
To write Emoji on iPhone and iPad go to Settings, then on General, scroll down tap keyboard, and then on Keyboards.
Then add a new keyboard and choose the one with Emoji or another one installed.
To use it, when you tap a text field, you can use the smiley icon or hold down the globe button and select Emoji.
Since even on the iPhone alternative keyboards can be installed, there are apps specialized in emoticons like Emoji ++, which costs one Euro and adds many more facets to use on Whatsapp or on any other message application.
Another way to put special and additional emoticons on Whatsapp chat from Android and iPhone is the use of apps like SMS Rage Faces for iPhone and Android with memes or Emoji My Face for iPhone to turn a photo into an emoticon.
These apps are not keyboards so they must be opened independently and after choosing or creating the emoticon, use the share button to send them via Whatsapp.
The same goes for BitMoji, an app to create custom emoticons on iPhone and Android of which I had already spoken.
Both on Android and on iPhone it is also possible, from 2018, insert personal animated stickers in Whatsapp and chat messages with GBoard, made automatically based on the photo of our face.
READ ALSO: Turn photos into Emoji with our emoticon face for Whatsapp and Facebook