Short Answer:
OBJ stands for Object Replacement Character which appear when an application unable to display emoji or emoticon due to many reasons including incompatibility issue or system errors.
When you post something on Facebook, you might notice that the emojis have been replaced with a dotted box with the text OBJ.
In this article, we’ll explain what OBJ stands for, the meaning and how you can remove or fix the issue.
It’s a pretty common error and happens to a lot of people.
What does OBJ mean?
OBJ is a Unicode character which stands for Object Replacement Character.
It appears as either an empty square or a white question mark on a black diamond with a white border inside.
It’s used to replace an object, such as an emoji or emoticon, that can’t be displayed.
This can be due to the user‘s computer system not being able to recognize the emoji or emoticon or because the software used to display it doesn’t support it.
OBJ commonly appears when using unicode text in applications like Facebook that support Unicode characters but don’t have full emoji or emoticon support.
OBJ is also used in emails and text messages sent through some programs and applications, such as Gmail and Android Messages, since those programs don’t always fully recognize emojis and emoticons yet.
For instance, emojis sent from iOS would show up in Android Messages as OBJs instead of their intended designs unless the recipient has an iPhone too — meaning that both parties need devices that use the same operating system for full emoji compatibility.
Reasons for OBJ to appear on Facebook
Reasons for Object Replacement Character (OBJ) to appear on Facebook
Are you wondering why the OBJ character has been appearing on your Facebook feed lately?
Well, here’s why this mysterious replacement character has been popping up and what it means for your news feed.
Due to the use of voice-to-text function on iPhone
Object Replacement Character (OBJ) is a system indicator that can appear when using the voice-to-text function on an iPhone.
This special character appears when the phone fails to recognize the words you are speaking and replaces it with OBJ instead.
The character indicates there are words it could not decode and that you need to try dictating again.
Using the voice-to-text function on your iPhone can be an incredibly useful way of quickly converting speech into text, but understanding why OBJ might appear can be helpful as you work on mastering this feature.
There are several reasons why this might happen and in most cases, it’s to do with either:
- Your accent or pronunciations not being recognized by the phone’s software;
- The microphone in your device not working as expected; or
- Not saying single words clearly enough for the software to understand or pause after each word.
Object Replacement Characters will likely appear if words aren’t being understood properly.
The best way to handle this is to speak slowly and clearly whilst trying to articulate each word separately whilst pausing for a moment between each one so that the speech recognition software can understand what is said correctly.
Additionally, make sure that your microphone works correctly (preferably by using headphones so that external noises don’t affect its accuracy).
If nothing else helps, resetting all settings can also help in some cases.
Software error on Android
The appearance of an Object Replacement Character (OBJ) in a post or comment on Facebook could be caused by an unexpected software bug or an unexpected error with the device.
When text is shared from an Android device, this character can appear due to corrupt files or out-of-date software on a device.
Android devices are especially prone to bugs and issues due to the broad range of possible hardware configurations and the ever-evolving user interface.
People experience technical problems on a daily basis when using their smartphone or tablet, and these errors often manifest themselves in mysterious ways — like the OBJ character appearing in text fields.
One way to quickly identify if a bug on your Android device is behind an OBJ appearance is to test it on another operating system — usually Windows, MacOS, iOS or another type.
If you experience no issues after switching platforms, then it’s safe to assume that there is something wrong with your Android setup causing the strange character appearances.
Before you rush off and get tech support to fix any underlying errors with your device, you should try some simple measures like restarting your phone, updating/downgrading certain apps and clearing up free space in storage (if possible).
If none of these steps do the trick then take heart knowing that even though it’s frustrating trying to get rid of OBJ’s – chances are that these characters are caused by unpredictable bugs which will eventually be fixed by developers fixing up code.
Emoji library on iPhone and Android
Technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, making it easier for people to communicate electronically with one another from anywhere in the world.
In recent years, these types of digital conversations have also included emojis and other graphical elements to complement the conversational tone.
Those who use an Android or iPhone may notice that, on occasion, their emojis on Facebook can appear with an Object Replacement Character (OBJ) in place of the intended image when messaging those with a different type of device.
This can be due to an incompatible emoji library on each app and between devices.
For example, when an iPhone user sends a smiling face emoji to someone with an Android device on Facebook, they may see an OBJ instead because the libraries between each device are incompatible and may not recognize certain images or symbols.
A smiley emoji can appear differently between both platforms due to this issue—whether it’s small details like eyes or mouth shape being changed—which could cause someone using one type of device to receive something other than what was intended.
How to remove OBJ from Facebook
If you’re experiencing the OBJ character on Facebook, there are a few steps that can help clear it up.
The first is to make sure your device has the latest software update installed and restart it after doing so; this may fix any underlying errors or bugs that could be causing the issue.
The second is to check to reset all settings on your phone can also help in some cases. This will clear out any cached data that could be causing the problem.
If it’s an incompatibility issue with Android & iPhone, unfortunately you won’t be able to do much about it as it will be up to the developers to work on compatibility issues across both platforms.
READ MORE: Have you heard of Facebook Touch? Here everything about it.
Wrap things up
Object Replacement Characters (OBJ) can be a strange occurrence on any type of device, especially when it comes to social media apps like Facebook.
It’s important to remember that these characters are usually the result of incompatible emoji libraries between platforms and devices, which can lead to images being distorted or replaced with OBJ character instead.
If you’re experiencing this issue on Facebook, there are some simple measures that you can take to try and clear it up.
These include updating your device’s software, closing any other apps or programs running in the background and resetting all settings on your phone.
Hope this article help you understand what does OBJ mean on Facebook.