According to an analysis by social media intelligence platform Meltwater, the Loudly Crying Face Emoji was the most-used emoji on social media in 2025, appearing around 814 million times between January 1 and December 15. But the popularity of the Loudly Crying Face Emoji is not simply about people being sad. Over the years, it has taken on a much wider meaning in internet culture. As a result, it became a go-to reaction for everything from uncontrollable laughter and excitement to embarrassment, emotional overload and disbelief.
The New Language Of Online Emotion
The rise of the Loudly Crying Face Emoji reflects how internet users have transformed the way emojis are used. While it technically represents a person crying intensely, online conversations have given it several new meanings. For example, someone might use it after seeing something hilarious or reacting to an adorable moment. Also, people use it when expressing excitement over a celebrity or simply responding to something that feels too relatable.
In many cases, the Loudly Crying Face Emoji has effectively replaced Face With Tears of Joy Emoji as the preferred reaction to something funny. The shift highlights how digital communication continues to evolve. Emojis are no longer used only according to their literal meanings. Instead, their interpretation increasingly depends on context, tone and internet culture.
Face With Tears of Joy Emoji Is No Longer The Undisputed King
For years, the Face With Tears of Joy Emoji was one of the defining emojis of online communication. It became synonymous with laughter and was frequently ranked among the world’s most-used emojis. But the growing dominance of the Loudly Crying Face Emoji suggests that younger internet users, in particular, are embracing more exaggerated and emotionally expressive reactions. Now, a simple “that’s funny” can become a Loudly Crying Face Emoji reaction. This conveys laughter, emotional overwhelm and dramatic reaction all at once.
But There’s A Catch
Emoji rankings can differ depending on which platforms are analysed, what period is measured and how the data is collected. Unicode’s own emoji frequency data has historically placed the Face With Tears of Joy Emoji among the highest-frequency emojis. So Meltwater’s finding that the Loudly Crying Face Emoji was No. 1 reflects its 2025 social-media analysis. This is not a definitive count of every emoji used across every digital platform worldwide.
Still, the result says something important about online communication: the Loudly Crying Face Emoji has become much more than a symbol of sadness. In 2025, it became the internet’s all-purpose reaction. People used it whether they were laughing, screaming, celebrating or simply overwhelmed by whatever was happening on their screens.