Which 8 emojis are new
Unicode, the organization that standardizes text across devices and platforms, released 8 new emojis in 2024. They are: a broken heart, a pink heart, a gray heart, a harp, a shovel, a splint, a crutch, and a jellyfish. These join the thousands of existing emojis already on your phone, and they roll out gradually depending on your device and operating system.
The broken heart emoji (💔) replaces the older cracked heart design on most phones. The three new heart colors — pink, gray, and the standard red — give you more options to match your message. The harp, shovel, splint, crutch, and jellyfish are functional or animal emojis that fill gaps in what was available before.
You do not need to read anything or change settings to use them. Once your phone's operating system updates, the new emojis appear automatically in your keyboard's emoji menu, usually in a "Recently Added" section at the top.
Key Takeaways
- Eight new emojis became available in 2024, including three new heart colors and five new objects or animals.
- Your phone receives these emojis automatically when your operating system updates — no action is required on your part.
- The exact timing of when new emojis appear depends on whether you use iPhone, Android, Windows, or Mac.
- Older phones or devices that do not receive operating system updates may not display the new emojis, showing a blank box instead.
When the new emojis appear on different devices
Apple added the 8 new emojis to iPhones and iPads in iOS 17.4, released in March 2024. If you have an iPhone 11 or newer and your phone is set to update automatically, you already have them. Older iPhones that cannot run iOS 17.4 will not receive these emojis.
Google released the new emojis to Android phones in Android 15, which began rolling out in September 2024. The timing varies by phone manufacturer — Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus, and others release updates on different schedules. Check your phone's settings under "System" or "About Phone" to see your current Android version.
Windows and Mac computers received the new emojis in their own updates. Windows 11 added them in a system update in late 2024. Mac users got them through macOS Sonoma and later versions. If you use an older version of Windows or macOS that no longer receives updates, you may see a blank box instead of the new emoji.
What happens when someone sends you a new emoji you do not have yet
If someone sends you one of the 8 new emojis and your device has not updated yet, you will see a blank square or rectangle instead of the emoji. This is normal and does not mean anything is broken. The sender sees the emoji correctly on their end.
Once your phone or computer updates, that blank square will turn into the actual emoji. You do not need to ask the sender to resend the message — the emoji will display correctly the next time you open the conversation.
How Unicode decides which emojis to add
Unicode releases new emojis once per year, usually in September. A committee reviews proposals from anyone — individuals, companies, or organizations — who submit ideas for new emojis. The proposals must explain why the emoji fills a real gap and would be useful across many languages and cultures.
The committee looks at how often people request an emoji, whether it represents something widely recognized, and whether it avoids duplicating something already available. The broken heart, for example, was proposed because people use it frequently in messages but the old design looked outdated. The splint and crutch were added because people with disabilities requested emojis that represent mobility aids.
Why your phone might not show the new emojis
The most common reason is that your device has not updated to the latest operating system. iPhones need iOS 17.4 or later, Android phones need Android 15 or later, and computers need recent versions of Windows or macOS. Check your device's settings and install any pending updates.
Some older devices cannot run the latest operating system at all. An iPhone 10 or older, for example, cannot update to iOS 17.4, so it will never display these 8 emojis. The same applies to older Android phones, Windows computers, and Macs. If your device is more than five or six years old, it may have reached the end of its update cycle.
In rare cases, a device has the right operating system but the emoji fonts did not install correctly. Restarting your phone or computer usually fixes this. If you still see blank squares after restarting and updating, contact the device manufacturer's support.
How to find the new emojis on your keyboard
On iPhone, open any text field and tap the emoji button (the smiley face icon). Swipe to the hearts section to find the three new heart colors. Swipe to the objects section to find the harp, shovel, splint, and crutch. The jellyfish is in the animals section.
On Android, the process is similar but varies slightly by phone. Open the emoji keyboard and look for a "Recently Added" or "New" section at the top, which usually shows the 8 new emojis first. You can also search by typing the emoji name — most Android keyboards let you type "broken heart" and it will show the emoji.
On Mac, press Control + Command + Space to open the emoji picker. Search for the emoji by name or scroll through the categories. On Windows 11, press the Windows key + period to open the emoji panel and search the same way.
What the new emojis actually look like across different phones
The 8 emojis look slightly different depending on your device, because each company (Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft) designs its own version. The broken heart looks the same in concept — a heart split in two — but Apple's version may be slightly more rounded than Google's, for example.
The three new hearts are solid colors: pink, gray, and the traditional red. The harp is a stringed instrument. The shovel is a digging tool. The splint and crutch are medical aids. The jellyfish is a sea creature with tentacles. None of them are ambiguous or hard to recognize, so the meaning comes across the same way regardless of which phone receives it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the new emojis if I have an older phone?
No, not unless your phone can update to the latest operating system. If your device is too old to receive the update, it cannot display the new emojis. You will see a blank box when someone sends them to you, but you cannot send them yourself.
Do I have to pay for the new emojis?
No. Emojis come with your operating system update and are always free. No app, subscription, or purchase is required.
Will the new emojis work in all apps?
Yes, once your device has them. They work in text messages, email, social media, messaging apps, and anywhere else you can type. The app does not need to do anything special — your operating system handles it.
What if I do not want to update my phone to get the new emojis?
You do not have to update if you do not want them. However, operating system updates usually include security fixes and bug corrections, so updating is recommended for other reasons beyond emojis.
Are there more emojis coming next year?
Yes. Unicode releases a new batch of emojis every September. The exact emojis for 2025 have not been finalized yet, but you can follow Unicode's official announcements to see what is proposed.