Google has released the raw 3D model files for its Noto Emoji 3D set as open source, making the full library of nearly 4,000 emoji available for anyone to remix, build into apps, or use in virtual worlds.
The release, timed to World Emoji Day on July 17, represents a significant shift from Google’s previous flat 2D emoji. The company redesigned its entire emoji catalog as true three-dimensional models, moving “from flat pixels to a three-dimensional world,” said Jennifer Daniel, creative director for Android and Pixel, in a blog post. The transition forced the design team to answer questions they had never considered, such as “What does the back of a smiley face look like? Is it a concave mask, a solid bouncy ball, or a flat piece of paper?”
The new designs are deliberately expressive rather than photorealistic. Daniel noted that emoji usage has grown more dramatic and hyperbolic over time — the crying face emoji (😭) has overtaken the laughing-crying face (😂), the skull (💀) is climbing the charts, and the wilted rose (🥀) is edging out the broken heart (💔). The 3D format gives designers room to lean into that emotional range.
Google also introduced an AI-powered contrast tool that analyses each emoji at the pixel level and flags when darker skin-tone variants become difficult to read against dark-mode backgrounds. The tool suggests high-contrast adjustments that designers can implement before release.
The raw .OBJ model files are available through Google’s open-source Noto project, allowing developers and creators to incorporate Google’s emoji into their own projects, from indie apps to VR environments. The company describes the move as a natural extension of its existing commitment to open-source typography and iconography.
Sources: Google is open-sourcing its 3D emoji (The Verge, Jul 17); How design, data and AI shaped Google’s Noto 3D emoji (Google Blog, Jul 17)