This emoji update, the sixth major one so far, was announced on Tuesday and includes a whopping 230 new emojis in total. There are 59 new designs and 171 variants for genders and skin tones.
Many of the icons revealed in the update are tied to a theme of inclusivity, introducing emojis for the blind, deaf, individuals who are wheelchair-bound or use prosthetic limbs. The update will also allow users to depict both the race and gender of each individual when choosing the couple emoji.
Food lovers will rejoice as well, thanks to Unicode's approval for emojis representing waffles, butter, garlic, onions, mate, falafel, juice boxes, ice cubes and oysters. And if you're planning a trip to a Hindu temple, fear no more: the latest update has you covered.
The diya lamp, stethoscope, sari, ballet shoes, auto rickshaw, service dog, sloth, otter and pinching hands are among a slew of other fascinating emojis included in the latest crop.
— #FREE21 (@mannyelk) February 5, 2019
One of the most applauded emojis is that of a single drop of blood, which Unicode states represents blood donation, medicine and — wait for it — menstruation. The design was submitted by Melissa Thermidor of NHS Blood and Transplant and Francis Mason of Plan International UK.
— PlanInternational UK (@PlanUK) February 6, 2019
In a Wednesday statement, Plan International UK explained that the organization previously submitted a design to Unicode for period-stained pants which was ultimately denied. "Sadly, the design didn't get accepted. But, unwilling to give up, we teamed up with NHS Blood and Transplant and submitted a new proposal for a blood drop emoji," the release reads.
"We're thrilled to announce that, with your amazing support, it's been included in the February 2019 emoji release."
According to 9to5Mac, the latest rollout could be released with either Apple's iOS 13.1 or 13.2 update, which is slated for Fall 2019.
