The most popular emoji of 2023 and what it really means

With over 3,600 emojis to choose from, we really are spoiled for choice.

And yet there are some we return to, time and time again - to pepper our messages or convey meaning when we can't be bothered to write anything down.

So what were the top 10 emojis we all used in 2023?

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An expert has revealed all - and yes, there really is such a thing as an emoji expert.

Keith Broni is the editor in chief of Emojipedia, a website that documents all of the emojis in the Unicode Standard.

Despite suggestions this year that Gen Z are moving away from emojis, Broni told Metro they're only getting more popular.

"I absolutely don’t think emojis will be dying out – emojis’ global popularity has continued to grow year-on year, and 2023 has been no different," he said.

"They’re an incredibly powerful communication tool that people use to better express themselves."

According to Broni, the first two on the list are real classics.

"Number one was the 'tears of joy' face, while number two was 'rolling on the floor laughing'," he told Metro.

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The red heart and folded hands to express thanks clock in at three and four - and at this stage, you might already be able to see a pattern emerging.

"The top 10 indicates that people are continuing to express positivity among their friends and family," Broni said.

The positivity doesn't stop there - others on the list include the loudly crying with laughter emoji, heart eyes, sparkles and different variations of smiling faces.

The crying with laughter emoji continues to dominate our emoji keyboards, and Broni doesn't see it going anywhere.

"With its track record, I believe 'crying with laughter' will remain at number one next year," he told Metro.

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The Unicode Emoji Subcommittee is in charge of deciding what emojis enter our keyboards - regardless of what kind of smartphone you have.

This year, fans finally got what they had been clamoring for: a lime emoji. Other new additions included a head shaking horizontally and vertically, a brown mushroom and a broken chain.

The top 10 most-used emojis in 2023

1. Crying with laughter
2. Rolling on the floor laughing
3. Red heart
4. Folded hands (to express thanks)
5. Loudly crying (used for overwhelming laughter)
6. Heart eyes
7. Sparkles
8. Fire
9. Smiling face with smiling eyes
10. Smiling face with hearts