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Google has redesigned its Noto emoji collection as 3D models, covering 3,977 emoji characters, according to a July 17, 2026 announcement. The “butt” in the headline is a gag in Google Design’s process article: it says “Just kidding! Butt, IMAGINE!” The released smiley is not described as having a literal butt.
What Google changed in its Noto emoji collection
Google describes the redesign as a move from familiar flat illustrations to true 3D models. The goal is not photorealism: the models retain the expressive, illustrated character of emoji. Jennifer Daniel, Google’s Creative Director for Android and Pixel, announced the redesign as covering 3,977 emoji characters. Google’s announcement
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The process starts with 2D drawings and develops them into 3D. Google Design says the team drew, sculpted, and debated the characters by hand, with automation used for some contrast checks. Google Design’s account of the work
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhy the designs prioritize clarity at small sizes
Emoji often appear in chat bubbles at tiny sizes, so a detailed model can become harder to recognize rather than more expressive. Google Design describes an 18-pixel legibility constraint and a rule of thumb: each emoji should have no more than three essential details that communicate what it is. Extra props and texture can turn into visual noise.
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What Google says its user studies found
Google reports that users preferred full-body animals to floating heads, that props could make emoji harder to understand, and that small facial changes—such as reversing a wink—could confuse people. These are findings as Google describes them; the cited articles do not provide sample sizes or detailed study methods, so they do not establish how broadly the results apply.
How the contrast tool fits in
Google says it built an AI-powered tool to flag emoji edges whose contrast falls below a threshold against common backgrounds. Designers decide what to change and make the improvements, including shaping edge protection by hand. Google identifies visibility in dark mode, particularly for emoji with darker skin tones, as a concern the work addressed. The cited sources report no numerical improvement or independent measurement of the outcome.
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Did Google really give a smiley a butt?
No. Google Design’s article asks what the back of a smiley looks like and shows a joke image described as a yellow face rotating to reveal a butt. It immediately follows that image with “Just kidding! Butt, IMAGINE!” That wording makes the gag explicit; it is not a factual description of a feature in the released emoji.
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Google says the Noto 3D models are open-source assets for uses such as virtual worlds, indie apps, and memes. Google Design links to the asset collection and repository. The Noto Emoji collection documentation lists PNG as a format for 3D emoji and says the entire collection cannot currently be downloaded in one action. Its documentation also covers 2D formats and animated assets; those are distinct from the 3D models.
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Check the license attached to the specific asset before reuse. The collection documentation identifies animated Noto Emoji as CC BY 4.0, while the Noto Emoji repository says emoji fonts use the SIL Open Font License 1.1 and tools and most image resources use Apache License 2.0. Those license statements should not be assumed to cover every 3D file; check the individual file and its accompanying terms.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the rollout is described
Google Design describes a rollout alongside Google and Android products, starting with Pixel phones and expanding later to Google apps and selected partner devices. That is a rollout description, not a complete compatibility list. The cited sources do not establish a full country-by-country availability schedule.
Quick Recap
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