Unicode Consortium releases a draft list of new emoji to be finalized in Sept., including multiracial handshake, melting smiley face, a pregnant man, and more
Looking forward to beans and more — The draft list for the next round of new emoji was announced today, two days ahead of World Emoji Day on July 17th.
Context & Ripple Effects
The draft sits in Unicode’s recurring proposal-to-standard cycle: its 2019 list was also finalized before reaching major platforms, while Apple and Google had already used World Emoji Day to show designs for representation-focused additions. The candidates in this draft were subsequently included in Unicode 14.0’s 112-emoji release.
The story matters because Unicode’s approval determines the common set that platform vendors can implement, even as each vendor controls the visual design and timing of its own rollout.
First-order effects
- Unicode’s September review process now has a defined slate of candidates, including the multiracial handshake and pregnant man, rather than a finalized cross-platform standard.
- Apple and Google can prepare their own artwork and software support around the proposed set, extending the platform-design work seen in their earlier representation-focused emoji designs.
Second-order effects
- A shared Unicode set reduces the risk that the same new expression is available on one major platform but absent from another once vendors begin shipping support.
- Representation becomes a practical design and compatibility requirement for platform emoji teams, not solely a discretionary addition to a vendor’s keyboard.
Third-order effects
- The recurring draft, approval, and implementation sequence is reinforcing Unicode as the coordination point for a communication layer that vendors differentiate through design rather than the underlying emoji inventory.
- As platform releases continue to follow Unicode versions—as with iOS 16.4’s Emoji 15.0 additions—the standard’s release cadence increasingly shapes when new visual language reaches users.
The trend: Emoji are evolving through a standardized core with vendor-specific designs, while representation remains a recurring priority in the additions pipeline.