What To Consider Before Sending The Orange Heart Emoji To A Potential Romantic Partner

There are thousands of emoji options available, and heart emojis are some of the most popular choices. A certified classic, the red heart emoji was the second most-used emoji in 2021 per Unicode, ranking just after the laugh-cry emoji face (you know the one). 

However, what about the humble orange heart emoji? As per data compiled by Emojipedia, the orange heart emoji was a late addition to the heart team, making its first appearance in 2017. Interestingly, it was introduced to the row of heart emojis purely because all of the other colors in the rainbow had a heart as well. It is also a relatively uncommon emoji when it comes to use, as data suggests people mostly use it to create a full row of rainbow hearts. 

Still, as with all the heart emojis, the orange heart has a specific meaning. You could even be sending the wrong message to someone by using this emoji instead of the other colors. Here's why you might want to think twice before sending the orange heart emoji.

Just like how someone's texting habits can reveal their feelings for you, emojis have their own language beyond words. Yes, the color of the heart emoji you send actually means something beyond personal color preference. In fact, sending an orange heart could say a lot more about you and what you want than you may have even considered.

The orange heart emoji is all about being casual. Unlike the red heart, which should be saved for only your partner and best friends, the orange heart is more for friends with benefits, occasional hookups, and casual dating in general. It can be part of an aesthetic too, for instance, if you're curating a perfectly tangerine Insta feed. Of course, sometimes an orange heart is just an orange heart.

However, if you want something more serious with your current situationship/talking stage/haven't-yet-defined-it relationship, you may want to think about using a different color heart emoji so that your romantic intentions are clear.

So, which heart emojis should you use instead? If you want to turn someone down without hurting their feelings, the yellow heart emoji is your go-to. Yellow as a color represents happiness, but the fun kind rather than the romantic sort. 

On the other end of the heart emoji spectrum is the purple heart. Similarly to how the orange heart is for casual dating, the purple heart will let someone know that you want to be with them in a non-romantic but also non-platonic way (if you know what we mean). Basically, it's used as a symbol for when you want to hook up with someone, so be wary about who you send floods of purple hearts to.

Finally, if you want to express your undying love for somebody, the red and black heart emojis are the way to do so. The classic red heart is undeniably clear with its intentions, especially if you have been seeing someone for a while, whereas the black heart lets the other person know the depth of your feelings (and also that you're a cool, sexy person).