A “Panic” Emoji Is Coming to Smartphones—Along with These Other Keyboard Icons

High-fives for everyone! We're set to receive a slew of new, entertaining emojis for crafting the ideal texts.

Not sure how to express a particular emotion? Want to make your messages more colorful and entertaining? Enjoy making and sharing puns and inside jokes with your friends? The solution is emojis! And we have wonderful news! Soon, there will be 31 new emojis, including numerous new hearts, a moose, and, yes, a panic emoji, for texting abbreviations and emoji jokes.

The history of emojis is quite brief. They were invented in 1997, but didn't gain widespread use until around 2010; they're now, of course, extremely popular. Emojipedia performed a survey which found that 92 percent of individuals regularly use emojis in text messages, while more than half of Instagram comments and one in five tweets contain at least one emoji.

There's a solid reason why people adore emojis: they're the ideal communication shortcut. According to Gianna Biscontini, a board-certified behavior scientist specializing in communication, emojis allow you to be more detailed and communicate a wider variety of emotions in digital communications that lack emotional context by nature. She says that this is the new method for "reading someone's face."

And with 3,363 emoji possibilities presently available, there are numerous ways to convey your message. In the event that you are still unable to locate the appropriate emoji meaning, the new Emoji 15.0 release will assist you in crafting the ideal wording. We have the inside scoop on the new designs and their release dates.

What are the new emojis for 2023?

Many individuals have experienced elevated levels of anxiety over the previous couple of years, thus the shaking face or panic emoji is likely the most anticipated of the new emojis. This is the only extra face emoji proposed for inclusion on the list. Additionally, we're finally getting a Wi-Fi emoji!

Here are some additional new emojis we're looking forward to, along with Biscontini's suggestions for when and how to use them:

New hearts

Heart emoji interpretations can become confusing. How has there never been a plain pink heart before, given that there are so many heart options? Problem fixed.

• Pink heart: The perfect emoji to tell someone I “friend-love” you.
• Gray heart: You’re not quite dead inside … yet.
• Light blue heart

New hand icons

• Two pushing hands: This one means “Heck, yes!” Now you can give a proper text high-five to someone. The hands “push” in both directions and come in six different skin colors.

New animals

• Moose
• Blackbird
• Donkey: We’re calling it—get ready for the punny insults!
• Goose: So silly!
• Jellyfish: Perhaps a way to tell someone to grow a spine?
• A single white wing: Why just one? It’s a mystery.

New plants

• Ginger
• Peas: Two (or four!) peas in a pod!
• Hyacinth

Other new symbols

• Hair pick
• Maracas: A whole new way to say “Let’s party!”
• Folding hand fan: Appropriate as climate change continues to cause record-high temps.
• Flute
• Khanda: A symbol of the Sikh faith.

When will Emoji 15.0 be released?

The new emojis are currently merely suggested and must be approved by the Unicode Consortium at their September 2022 meeting. Moreover, the Unicode Consortium is a non-profit organization that assures that all keyboard layouts, including those for languages other than English, are compatible with computers and mobile devices. It also makes the ultimate decision and approves the designs of any new emojis.

Once the Consortium members have reviewed the proposed emojis, they may alter the design somewhat; the existing images are merely suggestions. However, the majority of suggested emojis are approved, so expect this fresh batch to be distributed in the fall, potentially as early as September. The deployment will continue until the end of 2022 and into the beginning of 2023. Here are some emoji techniques for conveying your message.

How do you get the new emojis?

If your Apple or Android device is configured to update automatically, you do not need to take any action. Your keyboard will be updated to include the new emojis with the next system update. In the event that this does not occur, you can manually update your system by accessing your device's settings. Verify that your operating system, languages, and keyboard are all up-to-date in Settings, then install the update if necessary. Check out these iPhone hacks for further expert advice.

How are emojis chosen?

Anyone may propose emojis by submitting a written proposal to the Unicode Consortium. A group inside the Consortium is responsible for ensuring that the emoji list remains current and relevant by adding and removing emojis annually. This is of the utmost importance, according to Biscontini, because emojis undergo cultural shifts, frequently adopting new and sometimes unintended meanings. In fact, just 7% of individuals who text the peach emoji use it to refer to fruit.