Where emojis come from and who decides what gets added
Emojis are not created by Apple, Google, or your phone's manufacturer. They are designed by a nonprofit organization called the Unicode Consortium, made up of tech companies, academics, and other members who meet to vote on new characters — including emojis — that should exist in digital text worldwide.
The process takes years. Someone submits a proposal for a new emoji (a person can do this, or a company can). The proposal goes through a review committee that checks whether it fills a real need, whether it is distinct enough from existing emojis, and whether it will work across different languages and cultures. If the committee approves it, the full Unicode membership votes. Once a new emoji is officially added to the Unicode standard, phone makers like Apple and Google then design their own visual version of it — which is why the same emoji can look slightly different on an iPhone versus an Android phone.
Key Takeaways
- The Unicode Consortium, a nonprofit standards body, decides which emojis exist and votes on new ones; phone makers then design how those emojis look on their devices.
- Anyone can propose a new emoji, but proposals must show a real-world use case and go through a technical review before reaching a vote.
- The approval process typically takes one to three years from proposal to the emoji appearing on your phone.
- Once Unicode approves an emoji, Apple, Google, Samsung, and other companies each create their own visual design for it, which is why the same emoji can look different across devices.
How someone proposes a new emoji
The Unicode Consortium publishes a proposal form on its website. A proposer fills it out with the name of the emoji, a description of what it represents, and — most importantly — examples of how people would actually use it in real life. The committee does not accept emojis just because they are cute or fun. They want to see that the emoji solves a communication problem that existing emojis do not.
For example, when someone proposed the "folded hands" emoji, they showed that people were using the praying hands emoji to mean "please" or "thank you" instead of prayer, and that a dedicated emoji for those meanings would be clearer. The proposal also needs to explain why the emoji cannot be made by combining existing emojis, and whether it will cause confusion with emojis in other languages or writing systems.
The review stages before a vote happens
Once a proposal is submitted, it enters a technical review. The Unicode Consortium's Emoji Subcommittee — a smaller group within the larger organization — reads it and decides whether it meets the basic criteria. They check things like: Is this distinct enough from existing emojis? Will it work in all the world's languages? Does the proposal show real usage, or is it just a nice idea?
If the subcommittee thinks the proposal is worth considering, it moves to a public feedback period where anyone can comment. Then the subcommittee meets again, reads the feedback, and makes a recommendation to the full Unicode Technical Committee. That committee votes on whether to move the proposal forward. If it passes, the emoji goes into the next Unicode release — which happens once or twice a year.
Why the same emoji looks different on your iPhone versus Android
Unicode decides that an emoji exists and gives it a name and a code point — a unique number that represents it in text. But Unicode does not draw the emoji itself. Once an emoji is officially part of the Unicode standard, each company that makes phones or software decides how to draw it.
Apple's design team creates an iOS version. Google's design team creates an Android version. Samsung, Microsoft, and other companies each make their own. This is why a thumbs-up emoji might look slightly different on your iPhone than on your friend's Android phone, even though you are both sending the exact same character. The underlying code is identical; only the picture changes.
How long it takes from idea to your phone
The timeline depends on when the proposal is submitted and how quickly it moves through review. A proposal submitted early in the year might be voted on that same year and appear on phones within months. A proposal submitted late might not be voted on until the following year, and then phone makers need time to design their versions.
In general, expect one to three years from the moment someone submits a proposal to the moment the emoji shows up when you update your phone. Some proposals are rejected and never make it to a vote. Others are approved but then delayed because phone makers have not finished designing them yet.
Why some emoji proposals get rejected
The Unicode Consortium rejects proposals that are too niche, too similar to existing emojis, or that do not show real-world usage. They also reject proposals for things that change too quickly — like specific celebrities or current events — because emojis are meant to last for decades, and an emoji for this year's trending topic might be meaningless in ten years.
Proposals also get rejected if they could be offensive or confusing in certain cultures. The consortium thinks globally, so a symbol that means one thing in one country but something offensive in another is a problem. The review process is designed to catch these issues before a vote happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I propose an emoji myself?
Yes. The Unicode Consortium publishes a proposal template on its website that anyone can use. Your proposal needs to explain what the emoji represents, show real examples of how people would use it, and explain why existing emojis do not cover the same meaning. Proposals without clear real-world usage are usually rejected.
How does Unicode decide between two similar emoji proposals?
The review committee compares them to see if both fill different communication needs or if one is redundant. If both seem useful and distinct, both might be approved. If they overlap too much, the committee might reject one or ask the proposers to combine their ideas into a single emoji.
Why did it take so long for certain emojis to get approved?
Some emojis go through multiple rounds of feedback and revision before approval. Others are delayed because phone makers take time to design their versions. A few have been proposed multiple times over years before finally being approved once the committee felt the use case was strong enough.
What happens if a phone company does not like the emoji Unicode approved?
Phone makers are not required to include every emoji. Some companies have chosen not to display certain emojis, or to display them in a way that differs from the standard. However, the underlying code remains the same, so the emoji still works when sent between devices — it just might look different or not appear at all on some phones.
Can emojis be removed from Unicode?
Technically yes, but it almost never happens. Once an emoji is part of the standard, removing it would break backward compatibility with old messages and documents. Instead, Unicode adds new emojis or variations rather than deleting old ones.