As Apple gears up for its upcoming iOS 26 release, some exciting additions are making headlines—particularly on World Emoji Day. The Unicode Consortium, responsible for standardizing emoji across platforms, has officially approved eight new emojis that will be added to Apple devices as part of the new update.
While Apple will integrate these symbols into its system, the final decision on which emojis are approved lies with the Unicode Consortium. Every year, the organization reviews hundreds of proposals from individuals and organizations worldwide, selecting a small number to become universal symbols. This year, out of over 160 candidates, 8 emojis were chosen and will be adapted by Apple, Google, and other tech companies.
The upcoming emoji additions for iOS 26 include intriguing and expressive icons: Apple Core, Ballet Dancers, Shaky Face, Storm Cloud, Furry Monster, Killer Whale, Trombone, and Treasure Chest. These fresh icons will likely find a special place among social media users and digital creators looking to express emotions or themes in new and creative ways.
Apple is expected to redesign these emojis in line with its signature visual style while still adhering to Unicode reference designs. However, given Apple’s history of introducing major emoji updates in later iterations of the iOS cycle, it’s possible these new emojis won’t appear in the initial release of iOS 26 but may arrive in a future update.