So, I just saw a sneak peek at some potential new emoji coming our way, and I have to say, it's a pretty interesting mix. The Unicode Consortium, which is basically the emoji gatekeeper, has released a draft list for Emoji 18.0, and if these get the green light, we could be seeing them on our phones in late 2026 or early 2027. It sounds like a long way off, but it's closer than you think!

Among the candidates, there are some fun ones! I'm particularly excited about the squinting face. I feel like that's a perfect way to express that feeling of disbelief or skepticism. The left- and right-pointing thumb gestures could also be useful in a variety of contexts. Also a pickle emoji! Finally!

Beyond the individual emoji, it's worth noting that the draft list also includes ten additional skin tone variants tied to two of the base emoji. It would bring the total number of recommended emoji characters close to 4,000. This is something important, because the more inclusive the emojis are, the better. We all want to see ourselves represented in the digital world, don't we?

Of course, this is just a draft, so things could change. But assuming these emoji get approved, Apple will need to design its own versions of each character in its signature style. Think about how Apple's emojis have a distinct look and feel compared to, say, Google's or Samsung's. This means we probably won't see them on our iPhones until iOS 27 rolls out, sometime in late 2026 or early 2027.

While we wait for these potential new additions, remember that Apple has consistently adopted new Unicode emoji in the past. So, it's pretty safe to assume that most, if not all, of these candidates will eventually make their way to our devices. In the meantime, I'll be over here dreaming of all the creative ways I can use that pickle emoji!