In today’s digital era, communication has evolved beyond just words—emojis have become a universal language, adding emotion, tone, and personality to our messages. These small icons help convey feelings, reactions, and even complex ideas with a single tap, making digital conversations more engaging and expressive.
Apple played a crucial role in the mainstream adoption of emojis. With the introduction of the emoji keyboard in iOS, Apple made these symbols more accessible to users worldwide, transforming the way people communicate. Their continuous updates and design innovations have set trends in the emoji landscape.
In this blog, we will explore the history of emojis, Apple’s influence in shaping their popularity, and the impact emojis have on digital communication today. Let’s dive into the colorful world of emojis and see how they have revolutionized the way we connect!
The Evolution of Emojis on iOS
Emojis first emerged in Japan in the late 1990s, but their global rise began when Apple introduced an emoji keyboard in iOS 5 (2011). Before this, emojis were primarily available in Japan, but Apple’s decision to integrate them into iOS made them a global phenomenon.
Key iOS Updates Introducing New Emojis
Over the years, Apple has continuously expanded and refined its emoji collection:
- iOS 6 (2012): Apple made the emoji keyboard available by default to all users.
- iOS 8.3 (2015): Introduced diverse skin tones, allowing for more inclusive representation.
- iOS 10 (2016): Redesigned many emojis with a more detailed and vibrant look.
- iOS 11.1 (2017): Added hundreds of new emojis, including gender-neutral options.
- iOS 13 (2019): Introduced Memoji Stickers, allowing users to create personalized emoji-like avatars.
- iOS 14 (2020): Added new relationship-based emojis and updated masks to reflect real-world events.
- iOS 16 & 17 (2022-2023): Continued expansion with more cultural and inclusive emojis, such as new hand gestures, objects, and expressive faces.
The Growing Importance of Emojis in Digital Conversations
Emojis have evolved from simple smiley faces to a full-fledged visual language. They add clarity to text-based conversations, helping to express emotions that words alone might not convey. Whether used for humor, emphasis, or inclusivity, emojis have become a crucial part of modern communication. Apple’s role in refining and diversifying emojis has ensured that they remain relevant and expressive across cultures and generations.
How Many Emojis Are Available on iOS?
As of the latest update, iOS 17.4, Apple supports a total of 3,633 emojis.
Categories of Emojis
These emojis are organized into various categories, including:
- Smileys & Emotion: 😀😢😎
- People & Body: 🧑🦰👨🦳🧘
- Animals & Nature: 🐶🌳🌦️
- Food & Drink: 🍎🍔🍷
- Travel & Places: ✈️🏠🗽
- Activities: ⚽🎮🎨
- Objects: 📱💡🛠️
- Symbols: ❤️♻️🔔
- Flags: 🇺🇸🏳️🌈🚩
Comparison with Android and Other Platforms
Both iOS and Android strive to maintain comprehensive emoji libraries. With the release of Android 12L, Google introduced support for Emoji 14.0, adding 107 new emojis, including seven new smiley faces.
While the total number of emojis may vary slightly between platforms due to design choices and update schedules, both iOS and Android aim to support the full set of emojis approved by the Unicode Consortium, ensuring users have access to a rich and expressive set of symbols across devices.
What’s New in the Latest iOS Update?
In the iOS 17.4 update, Apple introduced 118 new emojis, expanding the expressive options for users. Notable additions include
- New Smileys: Shaking head horizontally and vertically, conveying “no” and “yes” sentiments.
- Animals & Nature: A majestic phoenix, representing rebirth or immortality.
- Food & Drink: A lime, adding zest to culinary conversations.
- Objects: A broken chain, symbolizing freedom or disconnection.
- People & Body: Direction-specific people emojis, allowing figures to face left or right, enhancing contextual accuracy.
These updates align with the Emoji 15.1 recommendations from the Unicode Consortium.
Changes or Redesigns in Existing Emojis
Significant redesigns accompanied the new additions:
- Family Emojis: All family emojis transitioned to a silhouette style, displaying white figures on gray backgrounds. This change aims to provide a more inclusive and neutral representation, moving away from detailed depictions.
How Apple Selects and Introduces New Emojis
Apple’s process for selecting and introducing new emojis involves collaboration with the Unicode Consortium, the central body responsible for emoji standardization. The process includes:
- Proposal Submission: Individuals or organizations submit detailed proposals for new emojis to the Unicode Consortium, justifying their inclusion based on factors like expected usage and cultural significance.
- Review and Approval: The Unicode Consortium reviews submissions annually, approving a set of new emojis based on established criteria.
- Design and Implementation: Once approved, Apple designs its own versions of these emojis, integrating them into upcoming iOS updates.
This collaborative approach ensures a standardized yet diverse emoji set across platforms, reflecting evolving user needs and cultural trends.
The iOS 17.4 update exemplifies Apple’s commitment to enhancing digital communication by expanding and refining its emoji offerings.
Hidden and Custom Emojis on iOS
Apple offers Memoji and Animoji, allowing users to create and animate custom emojis that resemble them.
- Memoji: Fully customizable avatars that can match your skin tone, hairstyle, accessories, and expressions. They integrate into Messages and FaceTime.
- Animoji: Animated emojis that mimic your facial expressions using the TrueDepth camera on iPhones with Face ID. Characters include animals, robots, and more.
Accessibility-Related Emojis and Inclusivity Efforts
Apple has introduced diverse and inclusive emojis to better represent all users. These include:
- Hearing aid and deaf emojis 🦻
- Wheelchair users 🦽🦼
- Prosthetic limbs 🦾🦿
- Service dogs 🦮
- Gender-inclusive options 🧑🦰
These additions highlight Apple’s commitment to making digital communication more inclusive.
Tips on Using Third-Party Emoji Apps
For even more customization, third-party apps offer additional emoji options:
- Bitmoji: Create a full-body avatar with various expressions and outfits.
- Emoji Keyboard by Facemoji: Provides stickers, GIFs, and custom emoji combos.
- Moji Maker: Allows users to design and share custom emojis.
To use third-party emojis in iOS:
- Download a third-party emoji app from the App Store.
- Enable the keyboard in Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard.
- Switch to the new keyboard when typing by tapping the globe 🌐 icon.
Apple continues to enhance emoji customization, ensuring users can express themselves in unique and meaningful ways.
Enable the Emoji Keyboard on iPhone and iPad
Most iOS devices come with the emoji keyboard enabled by default. However, if it’s missing, you can manually enable it:
- Open Settings ⚙️ on your iPhone or iPad.
- Navigate to General > Keyboard.
- Tap Keyboards > Add New Keyboard…
- Scroll down and select Emoji.
Now, the emoji keyboard will be available whenever you type! 🎉
Shortcuts and Tips for Faster Emoji Use
- Tap the Globe 🌐 Icon: Quickly switch between language keyboards and emojis.
- Use Predictive Emojis:
- Type a word like pizza or heart, and an emoji suggestion will appear in the predictive text bar above the keyboard. 🍕❤️
- Create Text Shortcuts for Emojis:
- Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
- Tap +, then enter a shortcut like “:smile:” and assign it to 😃.
Fun Tricks: Emoji Search & Predictive Suggestions
- Emoji Search Bar (iOS 14+):
- Open the emoji keyboard and type keywords like cat or laugh in the search bar to find emojis instantly. 🐱😂
- Quick Reaction Tapbacks:
- In iMessage, tap and hold a message to react with a 👍❤️😂❗❓ emoji.
- Memoji & Stickers:
- Create custom Memojis and use them as stickers in iMessage and FaceTime.
By mastering these tricks, you can use emojis faster and more expressively in your conversations!
The Future of Emojis on iOS
The Unicode Consortium has proposed 164 new emojis for release in 2025, which, upon approval, will be integrated into platforms like iOS. Notable candidates include:
- Distorted Smiley Face: A bug-eyed, distorted face symbol.
- Bigfoot-like Creature: Inspired by Sasquatch sightings.
- Fight Cloud: Depicting a dust cloud with limbs, reminiscent of cartoon brawls.
- Orca: A representation of the killer whale.
- Treasure Chest: A classic wooden chest filled with gold coins.
These emojis are part of the draft list for Emoji 17.0, expected to be finalized in September 2025.
The Role of the Unicode Consortium in Emoji Selection
The Unicode Consortium is responsible for standardizing characters, including emojis, across digital platforms. Their process involves:
- Proposal Submission: Individuals or organizations submit detailed proposals for new emojis, justifying their inclusion based on factors like expected usage and cultural significance.
- Review and Approval: The Unicode Emoji Subcommittee reviews submissions annually, approving a set of new emojis based on established criteria.
- Release and Implementation: Approved emojis are included in the Unicode Standard, after which companies like Apple design their own versions and integrate them into their platforms.
Trends in Emoji Usage and Their Impact on Communication
Emojis have become integral to digital communication, with several notable trends:
- Increased Usage: Platforms like Facebook Messenger see billions of emojis sent daily, highlighting their role in expressing emotions and ideas succinctly.
- Cultural Representation: There’s a growing demand for emojis that reflect diverse cultures and identities. For instance, young Londoners are advocating for Afro hair emojis to promote inclusivity.
- Evolving Preferences: Emoji popularity shifts over time. For example, the “face with tears of joy” 😂 has been overtaken by the “loudly crying face” 😭 in certain regions, indicating changing user preferences.
These trends underscore emojis’ dynamic nature and their significant impact on modern communication.
Conclusion
Emojis have become a vital part of digital communication, allowing users to express emotions, ideas, and cultural identities in a fun and engaging way. Apple has played a key role in expanding and refining emojis, continuously introducing new ones with each iOS update to enhance diversity and user experience.
From the standard emoji keyboard to personalized Memoji and Animoji, iOS offers a dynamic and evolving way to communicate visually. As emoji trends continue to shift, staying updated with the latest iOS releases ensures access to new and improved emojis. So, explore the vast emoji library, get creative in your conversations, and make the most of these expressive symbols in your daily digital interactions!