Unicode releases
Every emoji version, and what it brought.
Emoji are added in numbered releases. Each one lands on phones roughly a year after approval, which is why a brand-new emoji can arrive as an empty box on someone else’s screen.
18releases · 1,923 emojis
01 — Releases
Emoji versions from newest to oldest
Tap any release to see exactly what came with it.
The current release: nine characters, led by a cracking face, a pickle and a pair of sideways thumbs. Artwork usually reaches phones about a year after approval.
Distorted face, the long-requested orca, a trombone and a hairy creature better known as Bigfoot. It reached iPhones in spring 2026.
A small batch — Unicode has deliberately slowed down after years of rapid growth.
Mostly directional people and a family redesign, built from existing characters.
Shaking face, pink heart, and the long-requested plain grey and light blue hearts.
Melting face, saluting face and the hand-over-mouth set — the pandemic-era batch.
A tiny release: mostly beard, heart and smiley variants for gender balance.
Transgender flag, smiling face with tear, and a big animal expansion.
Accessibility emojis — wheelchairs, prosthetics, hearing aid, guide dog.
Redheads, superheroes, and the first lab coat and lobster.
Colourful batch: dinosaurs, zombies, the pretzel and the hijab.
Gender parity pass — most professions gained both male and female forms.
The first big profession set plus selfie, clown and pregnant woman.
Skin tone modifiers applied across the board and family combinations.
The first release under the modern numbering, in 2015.
Characters that existed in Unicode 7.0 but only became emoji later.
02 — FAQ