The iOS 17.4 emojis are here! The beta version introduces 118 new emojis, including sour lime, phoenix, animated smileys, and directional emojis. Based on Unicode’s September 2023 recommendations, these emoji fiestas include six novel ideas, four inclusive family emojis, and redesigned directional emojis.
Here are the new emojis added to iOS 17.4.
iOS 17.4 emoji: What’s the buzz?
Among the stars of the beta are six brand-new emoji concepts: 🙂↔️ Head Shaking Horizontally, 🙂↕️ Head Shaking Vertically, 🐦🔥 Phoenix, 🍋🟩 Lime, 🍄🟫 Brown Mushroom, 🔗💥 Broken Chain, and the heartwarming touch of four new family emojis, breaking away from gender specifics:
- 🧑🧑🧒 Family: Adult, Adult, Child
- 🧑🧒🧒 Family: Adult, Child, Child
- 🧑🧒 Family: Adult, Child
- 🧑🧑🧒🧒 Family: Adult, Adult, Child, Child
iOS 17.4 doesn’t just bring in new emojis; it gives existing family emojis a makeover. Instead of vibrant characters, families showcase white silhouettes on a sleek grey backdrop.
Adding spice to this emoji party are six people emojis flaunting new directional variations: 🚶➡️ Person Walking Facing Right, 🏃➡️ Person Running Facing Right, 🧎➡️ Person Kneeling Facing Right, 🧑🦯➡️ Person with White Cane Facing Right, 🧑🦽➡️ Person in Manual Wheelchair Facing Right, and 🧑🦼➡️ Person in Motorized Wheelchair Facing Right. With gender and skin tone options, it’s a grand total of 108 emojis to choose from.
Navigating the emoji Galaxy in iOS 17.4
There’s a minor hiccup as you explore the beta: while alternative-direction emoji characters seem accessible, a bug pops up when selected. Choosing one results in an unexpected flip back to the left-facing counterpart and skin tone options. Don’t worry; this glitch is expected to be fixed in future iOS 17.4 beta updates before the official release.
Save the date! The iOS 17.4 update is set to drop later this Spring (in the northern hemisphere), currently available in beta for developers. Going by past trends, users can likely expect the official release in March or April 2024. Keep in mind that, like any beta software, designs may see tweaks before the grand unveil, a pattern seen in previous iOS beta versions.
Featured image credit: Denis Cherkashin / Unsplash
