Admit it, you secretly like emoji icons that iOS users seem to (ab)use in their messages.
OK maybe you don't, but you do hate the "blocks" or blank spaces appearing in their place on Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare, Email, SMS, etc.
Google knows. And has worked out a way to implement their own version in Android, starting from Jelly Bean 4.1.
Now, ICS users seem to be out of luck and that made me think and finally figure out a way to implement them in ICS.
Here is a little sneak-peek on how they look:
Note that they are black and white. This is because they are font symbols and not drawables (as they are in iPhones).
HOW?
First of all, Android uses a set of so-called "fallback fonts" for displaying characters that are not included in the primary fonts (DroidSans, Roboto, etc).
In the older days, to get emoji support, we used a modified DroidSansFallback ttf file, placed in /system/fonts. Well, if I wanted to merge AndroidEmoji font and DroidSansFallback, I'd probably lose a great part of my patience sanity and eye-vision... (there are 471 emoji icons)
So, I modified the fallback_fonts.xml in /system/etc/ and added the AndroidEmoji.ttf, as well as changing the priority with which the fallback fonts are called.
And TADA, I could view Google B/W emojis everywhere!
HOW DO I INSTALL IT?
I made a flashable zip that will work on all the Xperia 2011 models, on stock and stock-based ICS ROMs and probably to all Sony models that run ICS also (do not have access to those devices to check and be 100%).
DOWNLOAD ANDROID JB EMOJI FONT ENABLER
Flash with CMW.
(If you are rooted and on stock kernel, check how to get
CMW here)
Preferably make a backup prior to installing.
I am not responsible for your device, YOU are!
Nandroid backups take 5-10 minutes to complete and can save lives.
Enjoy!
