Which Android version added Google's native emoji support in July 2013?

Google added native emoji support in Android 4.3, released in July 2013. Android 4.3 was the third Jelly Bean release and launched on July 24, 2013.

“Native support” means the operating system could represent and render emoji through its built-in software and fonts; it does not necessarily mean every device had the same keyboard experience or identical artwork. Phone manufacturers could customize the appearance of the glyphs, so emoji could look different across Android devices.

Android 4.4 created a frequent source of confusion. Google added emoji support to the Google Keyboard in November 2013 for devices running Android 4.4 and later, but the operating system’s native support had already arrived in Android 4.3. Later Android releases expanded Unicode coverage and added newer emoji features, including skin-tone modifiers and redesigned symbols.