From the crying face to the aubergine, emoji are used by people around the world every day.
Now, on World Emoji Day, Apple has revealed several new characters coming to the iPhone later this year.
In a blog about the new emoji, Apple said: “To celebrate World Emoji Day, Apple is previewing a selection of new emoji coming this fall, revealing the newest designs that bring even more diversity to the keyboard, alongside fun and exciting additions to popular categories of food, animals, activities and smiley faces.”
The new emoji include several disability-themed emoji, including a guide dog, an ear with a hearing aid, wheelchairs, and a prosthetic arm and leg.
Apple explained: “Celebrating diversity in all its many forms is integral to Apple’s values and these new options help fill a significant gap in the emoji keyboard.”
Meanwhile, other new characters include a yawning face, a one-piece swimsuit, a sari and new food items including a waffle, falafel, butter and garlic.
As always, several new animals have also made the cut, including an adorable sloth, flamingo, orangutan and skunk.
While the update includes several new emoji, one existing emoji has also been given a serious update.
The ‘Holding Hands’ emoji will now be available in any combination of skin tones as well as genders, opening up more than 75 possible combinations.
These emojis will be coming to Apple devices in a software update later this year.
