Two years ago, Microsoft announced the Windows 11 operating system to great fanfare. And one of the best parts of its announcement was “fluent emoji,” a new collection of 3D-animated emoji that looked expressive, detailed, and way better thanthe crap we had in Windows 10.But the 3D emoji never came. Instead, Microsoft introduced some new 2D emoji, which led to a surprising amount of backlash on Twitter. At one point, Microsoft told people that the 3D emojiwould not befeatured in Windows 11.As time went on, the “fluent emoji” appeared in Microsoft Teams. They even wentopen-source, giving everyone the freedom to design their own 3D emoji. And now, against all odds, these 3D emoji are included in the latest Windows 11 Insider Build (v25905).
It may seem like Microsoft had a change of heart and decided to add the 3D emoji to Windows 11. But the situation is actually a bit complicated. In itsblog postannouncing the latest Insider build, Microsoft says that the “update of our color font format toCOLRv1” allows Windows 11 to display “richer emoji with a 3D-like appearance.”
So, after all this time, we’re now learning why the 3D emoji were excluded from Windows 11—the old font system wasn’t good enough. I’m not sure why Microsoft commissioned all of these emoji just to have them sit around for two years, but hey, we’re getting what we wanted.
There are still some developmental hurdles to get through. The 3D emoji are native to Windows 11, but they don’t work in most apps or browsers. Microsoft promises continued support, so let’s hope it can get the job done in less than two years. (Of course, some apps and browsers will choose not to use these emoji. And some websites may stick with a custom set of emoji.)
Bear in mind that these “fluent emoji” are only included in the latest Windows Insider build. It may take some time before the 3D emoji arrive in normal versions of Windows 11. You canbecome a Windows Insiderat any time, though I don’t suggest doing so on your primary PC, as beta software can be very finicky.
