You may be asking, what are the new emojis of 2022? Apple debuted its latest round of emojis with iOS 15.4, and emoji updates are always exciting! These new emojis are now available as of the iOS 15.4 update released on Monday, March 14th. Let's dive into all the new emojis for you to enjoy.
Related: How to Find Out What Those Emojis Are Called
The new iOS 15 emojis give people a bunch of new and fun ways to express themselves, including seven brand-new smiley face emojis—the largest addition since iOS 11.1 in 2017—a melting face, a glitzy disco ball, and a multi-racial, customizable handshake emoji.
Jump To:
- New Smileys
- Gender Neutral Emojis
- New Hand Gesture Emojis
- Animals & Nature Emojis
- Food & Drink Emojis
- Objects & Symbols
New Smileys
The new smileys perfectly sum up a few different emotions, like face-melting embarrassment, tears of joy, and that feeling you get when you don’t want to watch but can’t look away.
While the face with its hand over its mouth may seem familiar, this emoji’s open shocked eyes will be universal across all platforms. Previously, this emoji looked slightly different across different platforms, causing some confusion about its meaning. Instead, Apple has updated the old smiley with its hand over its face to have smiling eyes and blushing cheeks, implying shyness and giggly laughter as opposed to shock and concern. Another emoji that is also getting a lot of attention is the lip biting emoji, which has become extremely popular on TikTok and Twitter.
Gender Neutral Emojis
Since 2019, inclusivity has been an important factor for venders to consider when designing emojis. With the latest iOS 15.4 update, Apple continues this trend by adding two new gender-neutral people emojis: person with a crown and pregnant person, as well as adding a new pregnant man emoji.
New Hand Gesture Emojis
In addition to the seven new smileys, there are also seven new hand gestures, each of which has customizable skin tone. These emojis include a dramatic and accusatory point, and my favorite new emoji, the heart hands. Apple also updated the handshake emoji to allow you to change the skin tone of either hand.
Image courtesy of Emojipedia
Animals & Nature Emojis
In the Animals and Nature section of emojis, the iOS 15.4 update has added four nature-related emojis including coral, a bird’s nest with and without eggs, and a lotus flower. We also now have a troll emoji, for all the many troll-related discussions I'm sure you've been having lately.
Food & Drink Emojis
We received three new emojis that are food and drink related: an empty jar, a glass pouring out liquid, and the absolutely vital addition of beans.
Objects & Symbols
Objects and symbols got quite a few new emojis, ranging from a car tire to an X-Ray. Two of my absolute favorite new emojis from this section are the disco ball and the bubbles. But the equal sign and the low battery icon are extremely practical. It’s hard to believe they were not always included in the emoji list!
These new emojis debuted as part of Apple’s iOS 15.4 update that arrived mid-March 2022. Be sure to update your phone to iOS 15.4 in order to take full advantage of these new emojis. Comment below which new emoji is your favorite! For more fun ways to use your iPhone or iPad, sign up for our Tip of the Day.
