The company has introduced 118 new emojis in the iOS 17.4 beta, including lemon, phoenix, mushroom, broken pottery, two-headed snake, and four gender-neutral family emojis. Other emojis include variations of existing emojis with different colors or orientations.
It is noteworthy that there is no flag emoji in this set of emojis, and flag emojis are only present in regional flags and are based on symbols and colors.
These emojis are currently available to iPhone developers, and users can expect them to be introduced with the iOS 17.4 update in March. This update follows the release of iOS 17.3 last month, which fixed more than a dozen bugs.
The iOS 17.4 update is anticipated to bring a fresh set of emojis, adding more diversity and expressions to the iPhone users' messaging experience. The inclusion of emojis such as lemons, phoenixes, and gender-neutral family symbols reflects Apple's ongoing efforts to cater to a broad range of user preferences and cultural representation.
Notably, the absence of national flags in this emoji release seems intentional, with the focus instead placed on regional symbols, colors, and various orientations. Apple aims to strike a balance between inclusivity and avoiding potential controversies associated with the use of national flags.
Developers currently have access to these emojis, allowing them to incorporate these new visual elements into their applications. However, for the general user base, the introduction of these emojis is expected to coincide with the rollout of the iOS 17.4 update scheduled for March.
This update follows the recent release of iOS 17.3, which addressed and fixed more than a dozen bugs, enhancing the overall stability and performance of the iPhone operating system. As Apple continues to refine and expand its emoji library, users can look forward to an even more expressive and diverse way of communicating through their devices.