Apple typically incorporates new emojis into the iPhone with iOS updates during the spring season. Recently, the Unicode Consortium released the complete list of draft emojis that may make their debut next year, as highlighted by Emojipedia.
Among the suggested additions are:
– A grinning face with squinting eyes
– A left-facing thumb gesture
– A right-facing thumb gesture
– A monarch butterfly
– A gherkin
– A lighthouse
– A meteor
– An eraser
– A handled net
These emojis are currently in draft stage, and once they receive approval, companies such as Apple and Google will develop their own variations based on the Unicode Consortium’s descriptions and prototypes.
As the emoji catalog grows, the enthusiasm among iPhone users seems to diminish. Apple has unveiled a new Genmoji feature in iOS 18 that enables users to design custom emojis from text descriptions or by merging existing emojis.
Apple has yet to implement the Unicode 17 characters, which were disclosed in July 2025. These emojis are anticipated to be added in a forthcoming update to iOS 26, probably in March or April. Following this schedule, the new Unicode 18 emojis will likely be integrated into iOS 27.4 in March or April of 2027.
The most recent batch of new emojis added to the iPhone came with iOS 18.4 in March 2025, following the Unicode 16 release.
What are your thoughts on the new emojis? Are there any emojis you’re still anticipating the Unicode Consortium to endorse?