This repository is a guide about emoji artwork licensing.
It does not include emoji image files (no PNG/SVG/GIF in this repo).
If you need emoji assets, follow the sources below and download from the official projects.
- A quick guide to help you pick an emoji set that you can reuse in your product
- A list of common emoji vendors and what their licenses allow
- Links to the official license texts (sources)
- Legal advice
- A place to store emoji packs
- A guarantee that a vendor will never change their license
Rule of thumb:
- If a set has a clear open license, you can usually reuse it (follow the license terms).
- If a set has no clear public reuse license, treat it as proprietary and do not ship the images.
These sets are usually platform-only. You can see them on the platform, but you should not extract and reuse their emoji images in your own app, website, or product unless you have explicit permission.
| Emoji Set | Owner | License Type | Safe to ship as assets | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Emoji | Apple | Proprietary | ❌ No | Use inside Apple OS and Apple platforms only. Do not export the artwork. | Apple IP Guidelines: https://www.apple.com/legal/intellectual-property/guidelinesfor3rdparties.html • Emojipedia licensing overview: https://emojipedia.org/licensing |
| Windows Emoji (Segoe UI Emoji) | Microsoft | Proprietary | ❌ No | Default Windows emoji artwork is not an open emoji pack. | Microsoft typography font page (Segoe UI Emoji): https://learn.microsoft.com/typography/font-list/segoe-ui-emoji • Emojipedia licensing overview: https://emojipedia.org/licensing |
| Samsung Emoji | Samsung | Proprietary / unclear | ❌ No | Samsung designs are not published as an open asset pack. | Emojipedia licensing overview: https://emojipedia.org/licensing |
| WhatsApp Emoji | Meta | Proprietary / unclear | ❌ No | Use inside Meta platforms only. | Emojipedia licensing overview: https://emojipedia.org/licensing |
| Facebook Emoji | Meta | Proprietary / unclear | ❌ No | Use inside Meta platforms only. | Emojipedia licensing overview: https://emojipedia.org/licensing |
| Other Android OEM emoji (Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.) | OEMs | Proprietary / unclear | ❌ No | OEM emoji are usually not published with a reusable license. Use an open set instead (example: Noto). | Emojipedia licensing overview: https://emojipedia.org/licensing |
These sets are commonly used as reusable assets because they publish clear license terms.
| Emoji Set | Owner | License | Personal Use | Attribution Required | Modifications Allowed | Commercial Use | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noto Emoji (fonts + artwork) | OFL 1.1 (fonts) + Apache 2.0 (SVG/PNG assets) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Noto splits licenses by folder. Check the exact folder you use. | Repo README + license split: https://github.com/googlefonts/noto-emoji • Fonts license: https://github.com/googlefonts/noto-emoji/blob/main/fonts/LICENSE • SVG license: https://github.com/googlefonts/noto-emoji/blob/main/svg/LICENSE | ||
| Twemoji | Twitter (X) | CC BY 4.0 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Keep attribution. | License: https://github.com/twitter/twemoji/blob/master/LICENSE-GRAPHICS |
| OpenMoji | OpenMoji Project | CC BY-SA 4.0 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Share-alike: if you distribute modified artwork, keep CC BY-SA. | License: https://github.com/hfg-gmuend/openmoji/blob/master/LICENSE.txt |
| SerenityOS Emoji | SerenityOS Community | BSD 2-Clause | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (keep notice) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Keep the copyright notice in redistribution. | License: https://github.com/SerenityOS/theming/blob/master/LICENSE |
| Mozilla FxEmoji | Mozilla | CC BY 4.0 (artwork) + Apache 2.0 (code parts) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Dual licensing can be confusing. Treat artwork as CC BY and code as Apache. | Project: https://github.com/mozilla/fxemoji • License reference (community index): https://github.com/iconify/icon-sets/blob/master/collections.md |
| Icons8 | Icons8 | Custom agreement | ✅ Yes (non-commercial) | ✅ Yes (free tier) | Free use is limited. Commercial use usually needs a paid plan. | License: https://intercom.help/icons8-7fb7577e8170/en/articles/5534926-universal-multimedia-license-agreement-for-icons8 | ||
| JoyPixels (static) | JoyPixels | Custom licenses (Free vs Premium/Pro) | ✅ Yes | ❌ Not in Free terms | Free license is personal use only. Commercial needs a paid license. | License page: https://joypixels.com/license • Free terms PDF: https://app.joypixels.com/terms/free | ||
| JoyPixels (animated) | JoyPixels | Custom licenses | ✅ Yes | ❌ Often restricted | Assume you need a paid license for public/commercial use of animations. | License page: https://joypixels.com/license | ||
| Noto Emoji Animation | CC BY 4.0 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Open animated emoji assets. Attribution required. | Google Developers Blog: https://developers.googleblog.com/updates-to-emoji-new-characters-new-animation-new-color-customization-and-more/ | |
| Fluent UI Emoji | Microsoft | MIT | ✅ Yes | ✅ Keep license notice | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | This is NOT the same as Windows default emoji. Fluent is a separate open project. | License: https://github.com/microsoft/fluentui-emoji/blob/main/LICENSE |
| EmojiTwo (EmojiOne 2.x style) | EmojiTwo Project | CC BY 4.0 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Older set, may not cover the newest Unicode versions. | License page: https://emojitwo.github.io/emojitwo/ |
Helpful references:
- Unicode Emoji List: https://unicode.org/emoji/charts/full-emoji-list.html
- Unicode UTS #51 (Emoji standard): https://unicode.org/reports/tr51/
This guide is for information only. Licenses can change. Always read the full license text in the sources before shipping assets.
If you find a mistake:
- Open an issue with the vendor name
- Include a link to the official license source
- Explain what needs to change
The text in this repository is licensed under the MIT License (see LICENSE).
Emoji artworks referenced here are owned by their respective owners and follow their own licenses.