The Unicode Consortium today released Unicode 8, the next update to the Unicode Standard that defines special characters and symbols, including emoji. Unicode 8 introduces 7,716 new characters, including six new scripts and new symbols, with letters to support languages in Africa, lowercase Cherokee symbols, and more.

Of interest to iPhone and Mac users is the emoji portion of Unicode 8, which introduces 37 new emoji and five emoji modifiers (these are the same skin tone modifiers that Apple has already adopted). These new emoji may eventually be added to Apple's Mac and iOS operating systems.

Of the 37 new emoji, inclusions based on popular request include taco, cheese wedge, burrito, bottle with popping cork, hot dog, popcorn, turkey, and unicorn face. Missing sports symbols like badminton and volleyball are also included, as are several new faces: face with rolling eyes, zipper-mouth face, robot face, upside-down face, and hugging face.

unicode8emojiexamples

Emoji examples via Emojipedia

Unicode only includes text descriptions for each of the emoji, so it's up to each individual company to create the graphics to go along with the symbols. When these emoji eventually make their way to the iPhone, they'll look different than the images above.

Apple has adopted the emoji skin tone modifiers outlined in Unicode 8, but it has not yet adopted the new emoji symbols. In fact, Apple still has not adopted the Unicode 7 standard that was finalized in June of 2014, continuing to offer only the emoji that were included in Unicode 6. It is not known when Apple might add new emoji, but it has not done so in iOS 9, aside from a few new flags.

The Unicode Consortium is already working on Unicode 9 for 2016. Emoji additions proposed for Unicode 9 include bacon, avocado, shrug, croissant, owl, selfie, drooling face, and more.

Top Rated Comments

nagromme Avatar
104 months ago
People have jobs today that were impossible to even conceive of 10 years ago.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gasu E. Avatar
104 months ago
People have jobs today that were impossible to even conceive of 10 years ago.

People have jobs today that are impossible to conceive of, even today.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ttss6 Avatar
104 months ago
Will the unicorn come with a fur color change to be more inclusive of nonwhite unicorns? /s
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Arrr Avatar
104 months ago
Ayyy lmao. I am excited about the taco. I'm not sure why it has been missing for so long!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sunking101 Avatar
104 months ago
That's *just* what I'm looking for, some more garbage emojis for me to sift through whilst I try to locate the few worthwhile ones.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Analog Kid Avatar
104 months ago
Wow, this clears up a major cultural snafu. Here I thought the Cherokee were yelling at me all the time, but now I realize it's because the Unicode consortium didn't even include their lower case characters...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)