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Facebook Messenger allows you to insert emojis from your device’s emoji keyboard into messages and to use them as reactions. The standard emoji keyboards for iOS and Android have a wide variety of emojis, many of which have different skin tones to represent the diversity of their users. This wikiHow teaches you how to select different skin tones for the emojis on Facebook Messenger Android, Apple devices, and computers. Changing the skin tone for your emoji is as simple as long-pressing on the emoji and picking the skin tone from a menu.
Changing Facebook Messenger Emoji Color
Start by opening a chat in Messenger, then write a new message. Open the emoji menu on your phone (not on Facebook Messenger). Long-press an emoji that is available in different skin tones, then select the skin tone you want to use for the emoji.
For popular FAQs on changing the skin tone of emojis on Facebook Messenger, jump to more common questions .
Steps
Selecting an Individual Emoji Skin Tone
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Open a chat in Messenger. Tap the name of a person in the list of chats to open an existing conversation with that person. To start a new chat, tap the Search bar at the top and then tap the name of the person you want to start a chat with.
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Tap the text box at the bottom of the screen. This opens the keyboard, which also has the option to select emojis.Advertisement
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Tap the emoji icon. This displays the list of emojis.
- If you are using an Android, tap the icon that resembles a smiley face above the keyboard.
- If you are using an iPhone or iPad, tap the icon that resembles a smiley face at the bottom left side of the keyboard.
- If you are on a computer, click the smiley face icon to the right of the text box at the bottom of the Messenger window.
- If you’re on a phone or tablet, don’t tap the emoji icon to the right of the text box. This will open the Messenger app’s sticker and GIF menu, which no longer includes standard customizable emojis.
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Long-press the emoji you want to send. On a computer, click and hold the emoji you want to send. On mobile devices, tap and hold the emoji you want to send. If the emoji has different skin tone options, it will display all the different skin tone options in a pop-up above the emoji when you long-press it.
- Not all emojis have the option to change skin tone. Most of the hand signals, faces with hair, and head and torso emojis can change skin tone.
- The yellow face emojis without hair cannot change skin tone.
- If skin tone options do not appear above the emoji you long-press, it does not have different skin tone options.
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Click or tap the emoji with the skin tone you want to send. This adds the emoji to your text message in your selected skin tone.
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Click or tap the send button. It's the icon that resembles a paper airplane to the right of the text box at the bottom. This sends the message with your emoji to your recipient.
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Press and hold a message to select and customize a react emoji. In addition to changing the skin tones of emojis in your messages, you can also use emojis with custom skin tones when reacting to messages. Here’s how to do it:
- Press and hold a message to react to it. If you’re on a computer, hover over the message you want to react to and click the React button (it looks like a smiley face).
- Tap or click the + button. This will expand a full menu of emojis.
- Browse for an emoji with different skin tone options.
- Tap and hold or click and hold the emoji to display different skin tones.
- Tap or click the version of the emoji you want to use as a reaction.
- You can also customize your default set of common reaction emojis from this menu. To do so:
- After expanding the menu of React emojis, tap or click Customize under the Your reactions header at the top of the menu.
- Click or tap the reaction you want to customize, then browse for the emoji you want to use to replace it.
- Choose an emoji with different skin tone options. Tap and hold or click and hold the emoji to display the skin tones, then select the one you want.
- When you’re finished, tap or click Done or Save .
Setting a Global Emoji Skin Tone (Android Only)
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Tap the ☰ in the Messenger app for Android. It's in the upper-left corner next to "Chats." This opens your Messenger options menu.
- On Android devices, you can change the default emoji skin tone from within the settings on Messenger.
- As of October 2020, setting a global emoji skin tone on an iPhone, iPad, or computer is no longer possible. However, you can still select individual emoji skin tones when sending them. The option to set a global skin tone is only available on Android devices.
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Tap theSettings icon. It’s at the top of the menu, next to your name and profile picture.
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Scroll down and tap Photos & media . It's under the Preferences header, next to an icon that resembles a photograph. This opens the Photos & media menu.
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Tap Emoji . It's the third option in the Photos & media menu. This displays a pop-up with a thumbs-up emoji in various skin tones.
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Tap the emoji with your preferred skin tone. This sets the emoji skin tone for all emojis that have different skin tone options. Every time you select an emoji, it will use the skin tone you selected, if available.
- You can always return to this menu to change your selection.
Common Questions: Customizing Facebook Emojis
Why are my Messenger emojis a different skin color?
Some users have reported their default emoji skin tones changing for no obvious reason. If this happens, it may help to uninstall and reinstall the Messenger app. If you have an Android device, you can also check to see if your default skin tone has been reset in the settings for Facebook Messenger.
How do I customize my Messenger emojis?
You can customize your Messenger reaction emojis by long-pressing any message and clicking the "+" button. Tap the Customize button in the top-right of the menu and tap any emoji you want to change. You can then choose an emoji to replace the default emoji reaction.
Can I set a default skin tone for my Messenger emojis?
If you're on an Android, simply long-press any emoji that changes with skin tone (such as certain faces or hand sign emojis) and select the skin tone you want to use. This will update all of the skin tone-related emojis in Messenger with your choice. This is not available on Apple devices or desktop.
Tips
- Some emojis, such as the standard smiley faces, can't have their skin tone changed.Thanks
- Changing the skin tone of a single emoji while chatting won't change the default skin tone for the rest of the emojis.Thanks
