Apple is adding a number of new emojis with a focus on inclusion, plus some notable extras and timely updates. Of the 217 new icons included in iOS 14.5 beta, 200 include couples with a mix of skin tones, including same-sex partners, according to Emojipedia. There are also new gender options for the bearded person emoji, which means you can choose between a woman or a man with facial hair.
Emojipedia
Other notable changes include a vaccine-compatible syringe with the blood removed. This is not the first time that Apple has adjusted an emoji: previously, it traded the gun for a water pistol after a series of shootings in the United States in 2016.
Emojipedia
Elsewhere, the Apple brand remains in the spotlight, as the generic emoji for headphones in black has been replaced by its latest AirPod Max in white. The review is in line with the other device emoji that matches the Apple line, including a Mac and Macbook desktop, an iPhone and Apple Watch.
Emojipedia
For those who are waiting for new smileys, there are three new variants on offer, including a face exhaling, a face with spiral eyes and a cloudy face in the clouds – all of which seem suitable for our current illness. There are also a couple of new hearts available at opposite ends of the romance spectrum, including a burning heart and a recovering bandaged heart.
Emojipedia
These updates are currently limited to developers, but will be accessible to all other iOS users in the spring. The new emoji (version 13.1) was approved by the Unicode Consortium in September after a change in its schedule and has been available to suppliers since then, with Apple now choosing to integrate them.