Google announced in July 2026 that it is open-sourcing its 3D emoji set, making the files freely available for public use as part of World Emoji Day on Friday, July 18.
The company is releasing raw .OBJ files to the public, which can be used to build VR worlds, indie apps, and other creations. The move gives developers, designers, and creators direct access to the same assets Google uses internally.
Alongside the open-source announcement, Google offered a behind-the-scenes look at its 3D emoji design process, highlighting how the shift from 2D illustration to 3D modeling introduces new design decisions that would otherwise go unnoticed. For example, designers had to determine whether a smiley face should be modeled as a sphere, a mask, or a flat disc — questions that simply don’t arise in flat design.
Google’s Noto Emoji 3D set originally debuted in May 2026 and received a mixed reception at launch.
The open-sourcing of the emoji set could allow creators to incorporate the assets into a range of projects, from immersive virtual environments to experimental applications. The practical scope of those use cases remains to be seen.
Source: The Verge