On Wednesday, the Unicode Consortium released Emoji 13.0—a list of 62 new emojis plus 55 gender and skin tone variants that will be available for smartphone users when platforms begin releasing them in fall 2020. So far, the emoji that people seem the most excited about is the "chef's kiss" emoji, because, really, who among us hasn't wanted a symbol that we could send to succinctly indicate that something is utter perfection?
The new "two people hugging" emoji was also warmly embraced, not least of all because the icon resembles salt shakers.
And speaking of salt, foodies are no doubt rejoicing over the inclusion of blueberry, olive, bell pepper, flatbread, bubble tea, fondue, and tamale emojis—you know, the essential food groups.
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Meanwhile, animal lovers can now add a black cat, a bison, a wooly mammoth, a beaver, a polar bear, a dodo, a seal, and a variety of insects to their texting roster.
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There's also now a gravestone emoji that would save you the trouble of typing out "I'm dead" when something's so funny it nearly kills you.
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And there's a smattering of other random objects joining the emoji fold in 2020, including a piñata, a Russian nesting doll, and an accordion.
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There's also a new "slightly smiling face with tear” emoji, meant to be a "visual metaphor for feeling simultaneous appreciation and relief," Jennifer Daniel, Google’s design director for the Android Emoji Program, said in a statement.
What does that mean exactly? Well, Daniel said, like when you "think of the past (#tbt) and retrieve positive memories" or when you're "experiencing the present and not taking good fortune for granted," or when you anticipate the future with "a hopeful and optimistic attitude."
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But most impressively, Emoji 13.0 is aiming to be more inclusive to various gender identities, like in its depiction of brides and grooms. Daniel said that the “person in veil” and “person in tuxedo” emojis are intended to "prioritize emoji that are more inclusive."
Plus, there's now a transgender flag emoji. Finally!
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They also created a "person feeding baby with a bottle" emoji to point out that "a lack of breasts doesn't preclude you from nurturing your child," Daniel said.
Courtesy of Jennifer Daniel
As usual, these images are just samples, as platform vendors like Apple and Google will need to come up with their own custom designs. But get ready to text all kinds of more inclusive, random, and exciting emojis to your friends and family in fall 2020!
