๐ข โEmoji 18.0
Emoji 18.0: whatโs new
Emoji 18.0 was released on September 16, 2026. It adds 19 new emojis: 9 new concepts plus 10 skin tone variants of the two thumb signs. The Unicode Emoji Subcommittee picked them to fill gaps in nature, objects and expression.
The new emojis and their uses
- Cracking Face shows emotional strain: holding it together on the outside while cracking inside. Paired with ๐ Smiling Face With Smiling Eyes, it reads as โIโm fine ๐๐ซซโ .
- Pickle covers pickles, deli food and the phrase โin a pickleโ. Like ๐ Eggplant and ๐ Banana, it will likely pick up suggestive slang uses.
- Monarch Butterfly adds a more detailed option next to ๐ฆ Butterfly, for migration, conservation and change.
- Lighthouse fits boats, the sea and safety. It can also mean โseeing the lightโ after a hard time.
- Meteor is not the same as โ๏ธ Comet. It suits meteor showers, sky events or a sudden โmeteoricโ rise.
- Eraser stands for school and office life, or wiping the slate clean.
- Net With Handle works for fishing and catching bugs, or grabbing a chance before itโs gone.
- Leftwards Thumb Sign and Rightwards Thumb Sign point the way in swipe instructions and navigation. Both come in five skin tones, which adds the 10 variants to the set.
Changes before release
The apple core was first proposed for Emoji 17.0 in late 2024. It moved to the Emoji 18.0 candidates in early 2025, then was removed from the draft in October 2025. It is not part of Emoji 18.0. In January 2026, the face with squinting eyes was also dropped, and its code point went to the new cracking face.
When the new emojis show up on your phone
Major platforms add the new emojis through software updates in late 2026 and early 2027. Until a device gets its update, the new emojis show as empty boxes.