Apple Introduces New Giraffe, Shark, Owl and Boar Animoji in iOS 12.2 Beta

In the latest iOS 12.2 beta, Apple has introduced four new Animoji characters that can be used in the Messages and FaceTime apps. The new Animoji include a giraffe, a shark, an owl, and a boar.

ios12 animojiAnimoji are designed to work on devices with a TrueDepth camera system, which now includes modern iPhone and iPad Pro models. Animoji are animated, 3D emoji characters that you control with your face.

When you use an Animoji, the TrueDepth camera nalyzes more than 50 muscle movements in different areas of the face, detecting movement of the eyebrows, cheeks, chin, eyes, jaw, lips, eyes, tongue, and mouth.


All of your facial movements are translated to the Animoji characters, making them reflect your expression and emotion. Animoji can be shared with friends in the Messages app as stickers and as videos, they can be used with the Effects camera in Messages, and you can use them instead of your own face when FaceTiming someone.

There are a total of 24 Animoji now, including the four new ones. Existing Animoji include monkey, robot, cat, dog, alien, fox, poop, pig, panda, bunny, rooster, unicorn, lion, dragon, skull, bear, tiger, koala, t-rex, and ghost.

When Animoji launched in 2017 alongside the ‌iPhone‌ X, there were 12, with Apple steadily adding new fun characters to play with.

Related Forum: iOS 12

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive These Five Perks

Wednesday July 9, 2025 9:20 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, did you know that Apple offers you five perks beyond the extra storage space, at no additional cost? Here are the perks included with all iCloud+ plans:Private Relay keeps your Safari browsing history entirely private from network providers, websites, and even Apple. Hide My Email generates unique, random email addresses whenever needed. Hom...

Top Rated Comments

mistasopz Avatar
84 months ago
Real innovation folks.
Score: 79 Votes (Like | Disagree)
9081094 Avatar
84 months ago
Nice I guess. Wish they put as much of an effort in making their gear great again to justify the premium prices.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pepe4life Avatar
84 months ago
Yes, they can release these AND work on the Mac.
Oh really?
Is that why....
1) Every new Mac mini 2018 has Bluetooth interference issue that still can’t be fixed
2) Every single laptops sold by Apple comes with a keyboard that inevitably fails due to dust accumulation
3) iMacs from 2 years ago are still being sold at their original price, with no update in sight
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klydefrogg Avatar
84 months ago
Finally, now all the critics will shut up.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
powaking Avatar
84 months ago
Baby shark do-do-do-do-do
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bgraham Avatar
84 months ago
This utterly pointless incrementalism will be Apple’s downfall.

How many people are actually excited about this, 4?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)