Emojis have become an incredibly popular way to express ideas and emotions in digital communication. As of October 2022, there are over 3,600 approved emojis according to Emojipedia. However, new emojis are added every year and the process for requesting new emojis is controlled by the Unicode Consortium. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of how to request new emojis to be added to the Unicode Standard.
What is the Unicode Consortium?
The Unicode Consortium is a non-profit organization that oversees the development of the Unicode Standard. This standard provides specifications for consistent encoding, representation, and handling of text across most of the world’s writing systems. It standardizes which characters are recognized across platforms and programs.
The Unicode Standard includes specifications for emojis. The Consortium carefully reviews proposals and decides which new emojis should be added each year. They aim to add emojis that are universally relevant, widely applicable, and compatible across platforms.
Emoji Subcommittee
The Unicode Technical Committee has an Emoji Subcommittee that specifically focuses on managing emojis. This subcommittee:
- Reviews emoji proposals and decides which should be added
- Defines the default appearance of each emoji
- Provides guidelines for emoji implementations across platforms
- Manages the emoji sequences in the Unicode Standard
The subcommittee aims to add emojis that fill gaps in representation or have broad support across cultures. They are not likely to add company-specific or niche emojis.
Emoji Selection Factors
The Emoji Subcommittee considers many factors when reviewing proposals for new emojis. Some key factors include:
Compatibility
The emoji must be implementable across platforms and programs. Overly specific or complex designs may not work across operating systems.
Expected Usage Level
Higher expected usage increases the likelihood of acceptance. The subcommittee reviews search volume data and social media trends.
Image Distinctiveness
The emoji design should be distinctive from existing emojis and unambiguous in meaning.
Completeness
Adding the emoji should fill a gap in the current set rather than simply duplicating existing concepts.
Frequently Requested
The subcommittee prioritizes emojis that are often requested by users globally.
Range of Coverage
Emojis should represent a broad range of human activities and diversity.
| Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | Can be implemented across platforms/programs |
| Expected Usage | High expected usage increases chance of approval |
| Image Distinctiveness | Design should be distinctive and unambiguous |
| Completeness | Fills a gap, doesn’t duplicate concepts |
| Frequently Requested | Prioritizes globally requested emojis |
| Range of Coverage | Represents diverse human activities |
The Emoji Proposal Process
To propose new emojis to the Unicode Consortium, you need to submit a formal proposal explaining your reasoning and making a persuasive case. Here is an overview of the emoji proposal process:
1. Review Emoji Submission Guidelines
Carefully review the submission process and guidelines provided by the Unicode Consortium. There are specific requirements for the formatting and content of your proposal.
2. Provide Required Information
Your proposal must provide detailed specifications of the emoji including a visual sample, expected usage level, exact meaning, and compatibility issues.
3. Make a Convincing Case
Explain why your proposed emoji deserves to be added. How is it distinct from existing options? What gaps does it fill? Include data showing demand and expected usage.
4. Solicit Supporting Letters
Letters of support from vendors, companies, community groups and other relevant stakeholders can demonstrate broad demand for your emoji proposal.
5. Submit through Online Portal
Create an account on the Unicode website and submit your completed proposal through the online submission portal. There is no fee for submissions.
6. Unicode Technical Committee Review
The Emoji Subcommittee will thoroughly review your proposal and may ask clarifying questions. They meet multiple times per year to vote on emoji additions.
7. Await Final Decision
If accepted, your emoji could be added as soon as the next release! But rejection is common, so you may need to refine and resubmit.
Tips for a Successful Submission
Here are some top tips for creating a proposal that has a higher chance of approval:
- Review previously approved and rejected emojis to understand what works
- Target an emoji that meets a distinct need or gap
- Provide a simple, flexible, cross-platform design
- Demonstrate broad support with data and letters
- Align with Unicode’s goals for representation
- Follow all formatting and content guidelines precisely
Well-prepared, thoughtful proposals that make a strong case for real user needs have the best chance of succeeding.
Examples of Recently Added Emojis
To give you a sense of the kinds of new emojis approved, here are some examples added in recent Unicode releases:
Unicode 14.0 – September 2021
- Melting Face
- Saluting Face
- Heart Hands
- Pregnant Man
- Pregnant Person
- Troll
These filled gaps in emotional expression and representation of pregnancy. The troll responded to surging internet usage.
Unicode 13.1 – September 2020
- Smiling Face with Tear
- Mending Heart
- Blueberries
- Black Cat
- Bison
- Mammoth
- Beaver
- People Hugging
Additions like people hugging addressed the need for emotional connection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Others like the animals and blueberries expanded representation.
Unicode 13.0 – March 2020
- Ninja
- Pinched Fingers
- Boomerang
- Plunger
- Wand
- Moustache
- Bubble Tea
- Smiling Face with Tear
These emojis reflected viral memes and trends on social media, expanding the diversity of concepts available.
When are New Emojis Released?
The Unicode Consortium approves new emojis annually, but the exact release differs across platforms.
- March/April – Unicode releases new emojis specifications in the first half of the year.
- July/August – Most platforms release new emojis in major updates over the summer.
- September/October – New iPhones integrate emoji updates in iOS updates in the fall.
- December/January – Android phones and other platforms roll out updates later.
So while the Unicode guidelines launch early in the year, you may not be able to use new emojis across all devices until the end of the year or start of the next.
Getting Emojis on Major Platforms
The Unicode standard just defines the specifications for new emojis. To make them accessible across devices, platforms like iOS and Android have to create their own designs and integrate them into their software.
Each platform uses a proprietary emoji font and design language. They tweak the looks of emojis to fit their brand while adhering to Unicode principles.
Apple and Google designers usually reimagine Unicode-approved emojis in their signature style before adding them to iOS and Android operating systems. This allows the emojis to render properly across their ecosystems.
Emoji Design Adaptations
Here is an example of how different platforms adapt the Unicode merperson emoji specification:
| Platform | Emoji Design |
|---|---|
| Unicode Outline | 🧜 |
| Apple (iOS) | 🧜 |
| Google (Android) | 🧜 |
| Samsung (Android) | 🧜 |
| Windows | 🧜 |
While constrained by Unicode directions, each version has its own look and feel. This process allows the emoji to blend seamlessly into each operating system and apps.
Limitations of the Approval Process
While the Unicode emoji approval process aims to be fair and representative, there are some limitations:
- Small group makes decisions – The Emoji Subcommittee is a relatively small group of tech industry experts without much diversity.
- Lag in adopting trends – By the time an emoji is approved, the relevant trend may have passed.
- Commercial requests denied – Emojis endorsing brands/products are broadly rejected.
- It’s time-consuming to add – The Unicode Standard revision process takes about two years from proposal to approval.
These factors mean relevant emojis fulfilling social needs or trends can take a while to become available on devices. The process favors emojis with broad appeal rather than niche cultural meaning.
Avoiding Emoji Limitations with Stickers
The emoji approval process leaves gaps in representation and timeliness. But apps and platforms are finding creative workarounds using sticker packs.
Stickers are custom images that apps display over text. For example, Facebook Messenger offers an array of sticker packs with diverse themes that users can access as alternatives to standard emojis.
Sticker benefits include:
- Faster to create – can respond instantly to trends
- More personalization – packs tailored to interests
- Brand approved – can use logos and mascots
- More diversity – better representation possible
Stickers allow apps to give users options that fill the gaps left by the formal Unicode emoji process. However, stickers are limited to use in the apps that offer them. Unicode approval makes emojis universally available.
Influence of Emoji Design on Culture
Emojis originate from Unicode, but their designs often emerge from tech giants like Apple and Google. Some critics argue the visual rendering can reinforce stereotypes and lack representation:
- Racial bias – such as light skin tones favored as “default”
- Gender norms – male and female emojis for every profession
- Body image – lack of diversity in body shapes depicted
However, designers have evolved emojis to be more inclusive over time:
- Skin tone options
- Gender-inclusive alternatives
- More diversity in hair, activities, clothing
- Disability-related additions like wheelchairs
But more work remains to make emoji depictions reflective of real-world diversity and cultural sensitivity. The approval process limits how quickly changes can happen.
Conclusion
Requesting additions to the Unicode emoji library requires following a formal proposal process. Factors like expected usage, flexibility across platforms, and addressing gaps in representation determine if a candidate emoji succeeds. Brand new emojis go through extensive design reworking before becoming available on iOS and Android operating systems. While the pipeline for new emojis is slow, creative sticker packs help fill representation gaps more quickly. Persistent advocacy can help shape the emoji vocabulary to better reflect the diversity of modern communication.