Behold the arrival of eight fresh emojis on your mobile devices!
One of eight fresh emojis is set to appear on smartphones and computers in the upcoming year, joining a root vegetable, a harp, a bare tree, a shovel, a purple smear, and a flag for the remote English Channel island known as Sark.
Emojipedia, a well-known emoji reference site, shared preview images a few months ago. The Unicode Consortium, the organization responsible for worldwide emoji regulations and releases, approved the new emoji lineup not long after.
Smartphone users can expect to use these new emojis across various digital platforms within the next several months and throughout 2025, as per Emojipedia's statement.
The worn-out emoji face earned the title of "most anticipated" emoji in the World Emoji Awards, garnering over 60% of the votes. The splatter and shovel followed closely behind in second and third place, respectively.
Though they may seem amusing, the bare tree aims to promote awareness of drought and climate change, according to Brian Baihaki, the individual who submitted it to the Unicode Consortium.
"Drought is a natural aspect of the climate cycle, and for millions of years, trees have adapted to these extreme conditions," Baihaki explained. "But the climate is changing, droughts are becoming more frequent, severe, and even spreading to new areas in a short period of time."
Different operating systems, like Apple iOS and Alphabet's Android, and various companies, have their unique take on the emoji designs.
These variations often spark controversy, such as Google's misplacing foam above a half-full glass of beer and the jumbled arrangement of burger ingredients (with cheese on the bottom) on their burger emoji. Both instances resulted in corrections.
Tech companies will likely incorporate these new emojis into their digital services, enhancing user experience in chat and messaging apps. The business of emojis has seen significant growth, with companies offering emoji licensing and creating emoji-themed merchandise.
