This happens when an emoji is unavailable or cannot be displayed on your device. This guide will show you what does OBJ mean in text messages and on popular social media messaging platforms. So, if you’re wondering what does OBJ mean in text Snapchat, read this guide to learn more.
What Does OBJ Mean in Text?
OBJ, or Object Replacement Character, is a placeholder for emojis that cannot be displayed on the screen. Usually, this happens when the app cannot correctly identify a unique character, or you don’t have that character on your phone’s version of emojis.
1 What Does OBJ Mean in Text?2 How to Fix OBJ in Text Messages and Other Social Media Platforms2.1 Fix #1: Update Your Device’s Software2.1.1 On Android2.1.2 On iOS2.2 Fix #2: Manually Update Your Apps2.3 Fix #3: Download an Emoji Library or Keyboard3 Final Thoughts
Typically, this character appears as a dotted square with the word OBJ inside or the symbol �. If you’re wondering, “What does OBJ mean in text messaging?” it can be an acronym for the word Objective since it’s also available as an emoji. But, most of the time, this will mean that your text app cannot show the attached emoji on your device. Note: OBJs and Attachments are different. There is a similar error which is “Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message“.
How to Fix OBJ in Text Messages and Other Social Media Platforms
Although the OBJ character may seem normal in some text messages, it can be annoying once displayed on your Snapchat conversations and when viewing posts on other social media apps. Try following the fixes below to solve the OBJ issue on iOS and Android devices. Check each fix and see which is effective for your smartphone or tablet.
Fix #1: Update Your Device’s Software
Performing a software update on your device is essential to keep its features and preinstalled apps updated. It can also contain updates for your phone’s built-in emoji library. Follow the steps below on how to update your iOS or Android device: Important: Connect your device to a stable Wi-Fi network to download the latest updates seamlessly.
On Android
On iOS
Fix #2: Manually Update Your Apps
Besides updating your phone’s software, you’ll also need to update its apps. Some social media apps cannot show certain special characters or emojis once it’s outdated. Similar to the fix earlier, you’ll need to connect to a stable Wi-Fi network when updating installed apps. To manually update your apps on an Android device via the Google Play Store, proceed to these steps: To manually update your apps on iOS via the App Store, follow the steps below:
Fix #3: Download an Emoji Library or Keyboard
Another fix you can try to solve the OBJ text issue is downloading an emoji keyboard or library app for your device. This especially applies when using an older phone unsupported by new software updates. Apps such as Swift Keyboard and Bitmoji are great apps to help replace your built-in system keyboard when it’s outdated. You can also download them for free on both iOS and Android devices. After installing your desired emoji keyboard app, set it as a primary keyboard on your phone and see if the OBJ text issue is fixed.
Final Thoughts
Emojis are essential to almost every conversation, social media post, text message, and more. However, some special characters may be unavailable on your device and will show as an OBJ text instead. This character acts as a placeholder object when your device cannot identify it. Hopefully, this guide gives you an idea of what OBJ means in text and other social media platforms and how to fix it.
