JavaScript - Prevent Unicode Characters from Rendering as Emoji in HTML

Last Updated : 02 Dec, 2024

When Unicode characters are rendered in HTML, browsers often display them as graphical emojis. To prevent this and display them as plain text, you can use specific JavaScript techniques.

1. Escape Unicode Characters

To display Unicode characters as plain text, use codePointAt(0) to retrieve the Unicode code point, and toString(16) to convert it into its hexadecimal representation. The escaped sequence (e.g., \u1F60A) forces the character to render as plain text.

HTML

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<body>
    <p id="output"></p>
    <script>
        const emoji = '😊';
        const escapedUnicode = `\\u${emoji.codePointAt(0).toString(16).padStart(4, '0')}`;
        document.getElementById('output').textContent = `Escaped Unicode: ${escapedUnicode}`;
    </script>
</body>
</html>

2. Replace Emoji with Text Equivalents

Replace emoji characters with descriptive text (e.g., [smile]) to provide a meaningful representation. This approach ensures that the emoji is replaced with an understandable alternative, making it suitable for environments that do not support emojis.

HTML

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<body>
    <p id="output"></p>
    <script>
        const emoji = '😊';
        const textEquivalent = '[smile]'; // Replace with descriptive text
        document.getElementById('output').textContent = `Converted: ${textEquivalent}`;
    </script>
</body>
</html>

3. Display Unicode Code Point

Instead of rendering the emoji, display its Unicode code point (e.g., U+1F60A). This method avoids showing the graphical emoji and ensures that the character is represented as its code point, making it visible as plain text.

HTML

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<body>
    <p id="output"></p>
    <script>
        const emoji = '😊';
        const unicodeCode = `U+${emoji.codePointAt(0).toString(16).toUpperCase()}`;
        document.getElementById('output').textContent = `Unicode Code: ${unicodeCode}`;
    </script>
</body>

</html>

Conclusion

To prevent Unicode characters from rendering as emojis in HTML, you can escape them into Unicode sequences (e.g., \u1F60A), replace them with descriptive text (e.g., [smile]), or display their Unicode code points (e.g., U+1F60A) instead of the actual emoji, ensuring they appear as plain text.

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Article Tags :

JavaScript - Prevent Unicode Characters from Rendering as Emoji in HTML

1. Escape Unicode Characters

2. Replace Emoji with Text Equivalents

3. Display Unicode Code Point

Conclusion

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