UFE0F

U+FE0F, named VARIATION SELECTOR-16, is a special code point in the Unicode standard used to request emoji-style presentation for certain characters that can be rendered either as text or as emoji. It is not a standalone character; it functions as a modifier that affects how the preceding character is displayed in a sequence.

When U+FE0F follows a character with both text and emoji presentation options, it signals the rendering system to use the emoji-style presentation. A related code point, U+FE0E (VARIATION SELECTOR-15), requests the text-style presentation. Together, these selectors provide explicit control over presentation without changing the underlying character itself, and they support backward compatibility as emoji usage expands across platforms and fonts.

Not all characters support both presentations, and some environments may ignore the selectors or rely on their default rendering. The system’s font, emoji set, and rendering engine all influence the final appearance. Variation selectors thus help standardize optional presentations while allowing existing text to remain readable if emoji glyphs are unavailable.

Usage examples illustrate the concept but are not guaranteed to produce identical results across platforms. For instance, a character such as U+2764 (the heart symbol) followed by U+FE0F commonly renders as a red heart emoji, whereas followed by U+FE0E may render as a text-style heart in environments that distinguish presentations.

U+FE0F is part of the Unicode Variation Selectors block and is widely referenced in Unicode documentation and emoji implementation guides as a mechanism for precise presentation control in mixed text-emoji content.