Apple is gearing up to refresh the emoji keyboard on iPhones with its next major software release. A new report suggests that the tech giant could introduce a batch of fresh emojis with the anticipated iOS 27 update, expected next year. The potential new characters range from expressive faces to everyday objects, aiming to give users more ways to communicate visually.
What Are The New Emoji Candidates?
According to details published by Emojipedia, the Unicode Consortium, which standardizes emojis globally, has released a list of draft candidates for its Emoji 18.0 standard. This list forms the basis for what companies like Apple and Google will eventually design and implement. The Unicode Emoji Standard & Research Working Group has put forward nine distinct new emoji concepts. Additionally, there are ten proposed skin tone modifiers for two of the gesture-based emojis, promoting inclusivity.
The full list of proposed new emojis includes:
- A smiley face with squinting eyes
- A leftward thumb sign gesture
- A rightward thumb sign gesture
- A monarch butterfly
- A pickle
- A lighthouse
- A meteor
- An eraser, for removing pencil markings from paper
- A net with a handle
When Will iPhone Users Get These Emojis?
The journey from draft to your iPhone keyboard has a defined timeline, though it involves some waiting. These emojis are currently only draft candidates for Unicode Emoji 18.0. Once finalized, Apple will create its own artistic interpretations and integrate them into a future iOS update.
Interestingly, Apple has not yet implemented the emojis from the previous Unicode Emoji 17.0 standard, which includes characters like a shovel, fingerprint, and beet. These are expected to debut for iPhone users around March or April with the iOS 26.4 update.
If a similar schedule is followed, the new batch of emojis from Emoji 18.0 could potentially arrive with the iOS 27.4 update around March of the following year. The main iOS 27 update itself is likely to be first showcased at Apple's WWDC 26 developer conference later this year, with a public release coinciding with the launch of new iPhone models in September.
Beyond New Emojis: AI and a Focus on Refinement
While new emojis generate buzz, Apple is also changing how users interact with emojis through artificial intelligence. The company introduced the Genmoji feature with iOS 18 as part of its Apple Intelligence suite. This allows users to create custom emojis on the fly using AI prompts. However, this advanced feature is currently restricted to newer iPhone models, specifically the iPhone 15 Pro and above, which support Apple Intelligence.
Regarding the broader iOS 27 update, not many details have surfaced. However, notable Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman predicted last year that iOS 27 would be a "Snow Leopard-style" update. This refers to Mac OS X Snow Leopard from 2009, which was famous for focusing on under-the-hood improvements, stability, and performance rather than flashy new features. This suggests Apple may prioritize refining the existing iOS experience with the 27th iteration.
As the emoji library on iPhones continues to expand annually, the arrival of new characters has become a regular, though less sensational, event. The combination of curated new emojis from Unicode and user-generated Genmojis points to a more personalized and diverse future for digital expression on Apple's platform.
