New Emojis 2025: Complete List of Unicode 16.0 & 17.0 Emojis and Their Meanings 🫩🫆🫟

New emojis in 2025 come from two Unicode releases: Unicode 16.0, approved in September 2024 and rolling out to iPhone and Android throughout 2025, which added 8 brand-new emojis including the iconic 🫩 Face with Bags Under Eyes — and Unicode 17.0, approved in September 2025, which added 7 more including the wild 🫪 Distorted Face and 🪎 Treasure Chest. Together, these 15 new emojis bring the total count of Unicode-recommended emojis to 3,953.

This guide covers every new emoji approved for 2025 — what each one means, how to use it, when it arrives on your device, and what slang or cultural context has already formed around it.

⚙️ How New Emojis Are Made

Every emoji on your keyboard is approved by the Unicode Consortium — a nonprofit organization whose voting members include Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Once per year (typically in September), Unicode publishes a new version of the Unicode Standard that includes newly approved emoji characters.

The process goes like this:

• Anyone can submit a proposal to Unicode with a justification for why a new emoji is needed
• The Unicode Emoji Subcommittee reviews proposals based on factors like distinctiveness, frequency of use, and cultural relevance
• Approved emojis are added to the Unicode Standard
• Apple, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft then create their own artwork for each new emoji and push updates to devices — a process that typically takes 3–12 months after Unicode approval

This means there is often a gap between when an emoji is “approved” and when it actually appears on your keyboard. Unicode 16.0 was approved in September 2024, but most users didn’t see the new emojis until iOS 18.4 in March 2025 and Android 16 later that year.

🆕 Unicode 16.0 New Emojis — Available on Devices in 2025

Unicode 16.0 was approved on September 10, 2024. It added 8 new emojis — the smallest addition in Unicode history — but each one was carefully chosen to fill a specific gap in emoji expression. These emojis began arriving on devices throughout 2025.

🫩 Face with Bags Under Eyes

Meaning: Exhaustion, sleep deprivation, being completely drained. The face has heavy eyelids and dark circles (bags) under the eyes — the universal look of someone who hasn’t slept. This was the most anticipated new emoji of 2024, winning the Emojipedia World Emoji Awards “Most Anticipated” category.

Best used for: Tiredness, burnout, new parent exhaustion, late-night work sessions, Monday morning feelings, or any time you need to communicate that you are utterly spent.

Slang potential: Already being used as an ironic reaction emoji — placing it after a statement to emphasize you’ve been up way too long thinking about something.

Available on: iOS 18.4 (March 2025), Android 16

Example: “5am meeting after a red-eye flight 🫩”

Example: “Me after reading the news today 🫩”

🫆 Fingerprint

Meaning: Identity, biometrics, forensics, and uniqueness. A fingerprint represents who you are at the most individual level — no two are alike. It references crime investigation, phone/app security, and the broader concept of personal identity.

Best used for: Cybersecurity topics, crime podcasts, identity theft discussions, biometric authentication, or metaphorically expressing your “signature” style or personality.

Fun usage: “This artist’s sound is so distinct, you can identify it anywhere 🫆” — using the fingerprint to mean a recognizable, one-of-a-kind signature.

Example: “My fingerprint doesn’t even unlock my own phone anymore 🫆”

🫟 Splatter

Meaning: A messy splash or splatter — of paint, sauce, mud, blood (in creative/fictional contexts), or any chaotic substance. The purple-pink design evokes the classic Nickelodeon slime of the 1990s. It represents mess, chaos, creative explosion, or being hit by something unexpected.

Best used for: Cooking disasters, paintball, art projects, messy situations, Holi festival posts, or dramatic overreactions.

Slang potential: High. Already seen in Gen Z usage alongside 😭 or 💀 for extra chaotic emphasis.

Example: “Dropped the entire bowl of pasta sauce 🫟”

Example: “This plot twist absolutely destroyed me 😭🫟”

🫜 Root Vegetable

Meaning: A generic root vegetable — can represent beets, turnips, radishes, kohlrabi, daikon, or rutabaga. It fills a long-standing gap for non-potato, non-carrot root vegetables in the emoji set. In German, the word for beet (Rübe) also means “head” or a “quirky person,” giving it interesting cross-cultural slang potential.

Best used for: Cooking, healthy eating, gardening, farmers markets, or any recipe involving root vegetables.

Example: “Made a roasted beet salad tonight 🫜🥗”

Example: “Gardening season is here 🌱🫜🪏”

🪾 Leafless Tree

Meaning: A bare tree with no leaves — representing winter, late autumn, drought, desolation, or the passage of time. Unlike the existing 🌲 🌳 🌴 emojis which are full and lush, the leafless tree evokes a stark, stripped-down aesthetic.

Best used for: Winter moods, seasonal content, environmental themes (deforestation, drought), gothic/dark aesthetic posts, or metaphorically expressing feeling empty or barren.

Example: “Winter in the park 🪾❄️”

Example: “My social battery after the holiday season 🪾”

🪉 Harp

Meaning: A harp — the elegant stringed instrument associated with classical music, love, angels, ancient mythology (particularly Celtic and Greek), and orchestral performance. The existing 🎻 Violin emoji was filling in for the harp, but they are distinct instruments with different cultural associations.

Best used for: Classical music, wedding music, angelic/divine themes, Celtic culture, mythology references, or anytime someone is being dramatically dramatic (“play me a tiny harp”).

Example: “Playing the world’s tiniest 🪉 for you”

Example: “This score is breathtaking 🪉✨”

🪏 Shovel

Meaning: A shovel — for digging, scooping, gardening, construction, or any earth-moving work. It fills an obvious gap in the tools emoji set alongside the existing 🔧 🪛 🔨. Beyond literal use, it carries idioms: “digging deeper,” “shoveling,” or doing hard, unglamorous work.

Best used for: Gardening, construction, archaeology, snow removal, or metaphorically for “digging into” a topic, burying something (literally or figuratively), or doing the grunt work.

Example: “Spring gardening time 🌱🪏”

Example: “Going to dig into this dataset 🪏📊”

🇨🇶 Flag: Sark

Meaning: The flag of Sark — a tiny, semi-autonomous island dependency of Guernsey in the English Channel, with a population of under 500 people. Sark received its own ISO 3166 country code (CQ), which automatically qualified it for a Unicode flag emoji. It became the first new national/regional flag emoji since 2015.

Best used for: Representing Sark, Channel Islands geography, or as a conversation starter about one of the world’s most unique jurisdictions (Sark was the last feudal state in Europe until 2008).

Example: “Planning a trip to the most unique island in Europe 🇨🇶”

🔮 Unicode 17.0 New Emojis — Approved September 2025, Coming to Devices 2026

Unicode 17.0 was officially approved on September 9, 2025, adding 7 new emoji codepoints plus a new gender-neutral Ballet Dancer sequence. As of early 2026, these emojis are available in Google’s Noto font and Discord’s Twemoji but have not yet been pushed to standard iPhone or Android keyboards. Expect them on iOS 26 and Android 16/17 throughout 2026.

🫪 Distorted Face

Meaning: A face with warped, melting, or distorted features — like something out of a funhouse mirror or a surrealist artwork. It represents extreme stress, overwhelm, having your mind blown, or a reaction so intense that your face literally can’t contain it. Think of it as the next evolution beyond 🤯 Mind Blown.

Best used for: Reacting to absurd news, mind-bending information, extreme confusion, sensory overload, or anything that makes your brain short-circuit.

Slang potential: Extremely high. This is poised to become a major Gen Z reaction emoji alongside 😭💀.

Example: “The finale of that show 🫪”

Example: “Trying to understand my tax return 🫪”

🫯 Fight Cloud

Meaning: The classic cartoon brawl cloud — a swirling dust cloud with fists, stars, and chaos inside, representing a fight in progress (as seen in classic comics and animated cartoons). It depicts conflict, chaos, a heated argument, or a dramatic confrontation in a playful, cartoonish way.

Best used for: Describing arguments, sports rivalries, sibling fights, comment section wars, or any situation where chaos has broken out.

Example: “Family dinner when politics comes up 🫯”

Example: “The comment section right now 🫯”

🫍 Orca

Meaning: An orca, also known as a killer whale — the largest member of the dolphin family, recognized by its striking black-and-white coloring. Orcas are known for their intelligence, complex social structures, and power in the ocean. The existing 🐳 and 🐋 whale emojis represent different species, making a dedicated orca emoji a meaningful addition.

Best used for: Marine biology, ocean conservation, aquarium visits, wildlife content, or representing strength and intelligence.

Example: “Whale watching tour was incredible 🫍🌊”

Example: “Orca season in the Pacific 🫍”

🫈 Hairy Creature

Meaning: A large, hairy, bipedal creature inspired by Bigfoot (Sasquatch), the Yeti, the Almasty, and similar cryptid legends that exist across many world cultures. It represents mystery, folklore, the unknown, wild creatures, or anything elusive and hard to prove. It can also be used humorously.

Best used for: Cryptid content, paranormal humor, wilderness and nature, or anyone who is “going feral” / needs a haircut.

Example: “Me before my morning coffee 🫈”

Example: “Still believe in Bigfoot 🫈🏔️”

🪊 Trombone

Meaning: A trombone — the iconic brass instrument known for its sliding mechanism and rich, resonant sound. It is associated with jazz, orchestras, marching bands, and comedy (the trombone has a long history as a comedic instrument in cartoons and TV). It joins the existing trumpet 🎺, saxophone 🎷, and other instrument emojis.

Best used for: Jazz music, band references, marching bands, or humorously — the “sad trombone” (wah-wah-wah) sound effect for failure or disappointment.

Example: “Jazz night was incredible 🎵🪊”

Example: “Didn’t get the job 🪊” (sad trombone energy)

🛘 Landslide

Meaning: A landslide — rocks and earth sliding down a hillside. It represents natural disasters, geological events, instability, or a massive and unstoppable force. It can also be used metaphorically for a “landslide victory” in an election or competition, or a “landslide” of problems coming at once.

Best used for: Natural disaster news, geology, environmental topics, or metaphorically for overwhelming defeats or avalanches of tasks.

Example: “Won the election by a landslide 🛘”

Example: “My inbox after the weekend 🛘📧”

🪎 Treasure Chest

Meaning: A classic pirate-style treasure chest, typically shown open and overflowing with gold coins and jewels. It represents hidden treasure, valuable discoveries, gaming loot, adventure, secrets, and rewards. A deeply recognizable cultural symbol across age groups.

Best used for: Gaming (loot boxes, RPGs), pirate themes, finding something amazing, birthday or gift contexts, or metaphorically for anything rich with value.

Slang potential: High — expect to see it paired with ✨ or 💎 to describe anything “full of gems.”

Example: “This album is an absolute 🪎”

Example: “Found a vintage shop with incredible pieces 🪎✨”

🧑‍🩰 Ballet Dancer (New Sequence)

Meaning: A gender-neutral ballet dancer — created by combining the existing 🧑 Person and 🩰 Ballet Shoes emojis into a new sequence. It joins the existing 👨‍🩰 Man Dancing in Ballet Shoes and 👩‍🩰 Woman Dancing in Ballet Shoes with a gender-inclusive option. All skin tone variations are supported.

Example: “Opening night of Swan Lake 🧑‍🩰🎭”

📱 When Do New 2025 Emojis Arrive on iPhone and Android?

Here is the rollout timeline for both Unicode 16.0 and 17.0 emojis across major platforms:

Unicode 16.0 Emoji Rollout (2024–2025)

Unicode 17.0 Emoji Rollout (2025–2026)

Tip: If you receive a new emoji on an older device and it shows as a blank rectangle or question mark, it means your device or app hasn’t updated to support that Unicode version yet. The emoji itself is being sent correctly — your device just can’t render it yet. Updating your OS will fix this.

📊 Complete New Emojis 2025 Reference Table

💡 How to Use the New 2025 Emojis

How to Get the New Emojis on iPhone

The Unicode 16.0 emojis (🫩🫆🫟🫜🪾🪉🪏) are available on iOS 18.4 or later. To update: go to Settings → General → Software Update. Once updated, the new emojis automatically appear in your emoji keyboard — you don’t need to download them separately.

How to Get the New Emojis on Android

The Unicode 16.0 emojis began appearing on Android devices with Android 16 and via updates to the Gboard keyboard app. Go to Settings → System → System Update to check for the latest update. Samsung devices received the new emojis via One UI 7.

Why Can’t I See the New Emojis?

If a new emoji appears as a box (□), a question mark (?), or the text “emoji not supported,” it means your device or app doesn’t yet support that Unicode version. Solutions:

• Update your phone’s operating system
• Update the specific app (WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.) — some apps bundle their own emoji fonts
• If on a computer, update Windows 11 or macOS

Copying New Emojis

Can’t find the new emojis on your keyboard yet? You can copy them directly from this page by clicking or tapping on any emoji in the tables above. They’ll copy to your clipboard and can be pasted anywhere.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions About New Emojis 2025

What are the new emojis in 2025?

The new emojis in 2025 come from two Unicode releases. Unicode 16.0 (approved September 2024, rolling out to devices throughout 2025) added 8 new emojis: 🫩 Face with Bags Under Eyes, 🫆 Fingerprint, 🫟 Splatter, 🫜 Root Vegetable, 🪾 Leafless Tree, 🪉 Harp, 🪏 Shovel, and 🇨🇶 Flag: Sark. Unicode 17.0 (approved September 2025, rolling out in 2026) added 7 more: 🫪 Distorted Face, 🫯 Fight Cloud, 🫍 Orca, 🫈 Hairy Creature, 🪊 Trombone, 🛘 Landslide, and 🪎 Treasure Chest.

What does the 🫩 Face with Bags Under Eyes emoji mean?

The 🫩 Face with Bags Under Eyes emoji means exhaustion, sleep deprivation, or being completely drained. It represents the look of someone who hasn’t slept — heavy eyelids and dark circles. Use it when you’re tired, burned out, or running on no sleep. It was the most anticipated new emoji of 2024 and became available on iPhone in March 2025 with iOS 18.4.

When are the new 2025 emojis coming to iPhone?

The Unicode 16.0 emojis (including 🫩 and 🫆) arrived on iPhone with iOS 18.4 in March 2025. The Unicode 17.0 emojis (including 🫪 Distorted Face and 🪎 Treasure Chest) are expected on iPhone via iOS 26, anticipated in Spring/Summer 2026.

What does the 🫟 Splatter emoji mean?

The 🫟 Splatter emoji means a messy spill, paint splatter, or chaotic explosion of any substance. It represents mess, chaos, a creative burst, or being hit by something unexpected. The purple design recalls the classic Nickelodeon slime. In slang, it’s already used alongside 😭 or 💀 for dramatic emphasis.

What does the 🫆 Fingerprint emoji mean?

The 🫆 Fingerprint emoji means identity, biometrics, forensics, or uniqueness. Use it for crime investigation content, security topics, or metaphorically to express being one-of-a-kind. It fills a real gap — there was no good emoji for “fingerprint” or biometric authentication before this.

What does the 🫪 Distorted Face emoji mean?

The 🫪 Distorted Face emoji (Unicode 17.0) shows a face with warped, melting features. It means extreme overwhelm, a mind-blowing reaction, or a response so intense your face can’t stay normal. Think of it as the evolution of 🤯 — reserved for truly absurd or surreal situations.

What does the 🪎 Treasure Chest emoji mean?

The 🪎 Treasure Chest emoji means hidden treasure, valuable discoveries, or gaming loot. Use it for finding something amazing, gaming contexts, pirate themes, or metaphorically for anything packed with value. Its slang use pairing with ✨ and 💎 is already emerging.

What does the 🫍 Orca emoji mean?

The 🫍 Orca (killer whale) emoji represents orcas, ocean power, and intelligence. Orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family — and unlike the existing 🐳 and 🐋 whales, the orca’s distinctive black-and-white coloring makes it uniquely recognizable and culturally significant.

What does the 🫈 Hairy Creature emoji mean?

The 🫈 Hairy Creature emoji is inspired by Bigfoot, Yeti, and similar cryptid legends from cultures around the world. It represents mystery, folklore, wild creatures, or anything elusive. Humorously, it’s already being used to describe needing a haircut or being “feral” before coffee.

How many new emojis are there in 2025?

In 2025, a total of 15 new emoji concepts are arriving across two Unicode releases: 8 from Unicode 16.0 (rolling out throughout 2025) and 7 from Unicode 17.0 (approved September 2025, rolling out in 2026). This brings the total number of Unicode-recommended emojis to 3,953.

What does the 🪾 Leafless Tree emoji mean?

The 🪾 Leafless Tree emoji represents a bare tree with no leaves — winter, late autumn, drought, or desolation. Unlike the lush existing tree emojis, the leafless tree evokes a stripped, stark aesthetic. It’s also used metaphorically for feeling empty or worn down.

Will there be more new emojis after 2025?

Yes. Unicode releases a new emoji list every September. Emoji 18.0 (expected September 2026) currently has 9 new concepts in draft, including a squinting face, a pickle, two new thumb gestures, and a lighthouse. As always, these remain subject to change before final approval.

Final Thoughts on New Emojis 2025

The 2025 emoji landscape is defined by two distinct waves. The Unicode 16.0 emojis — particularly 🫩 Face with Bags Under Eyes — have already embedded themselves in digital culture, perfectly capturing the exhausted, always-online spirit of modern life. Meanwhile, the Unicode 17.0 additions like the 🫪 Distorted Face and 🪎 Treasure Chest have enormous slang potential and are poised to become staples once they hit mainstream devices in 2026.

Bookmark this page — we update it as new device support rolls out and as cultural usage patterns emerge for each new emoji.

Looking for more emoji meanings? Explore our full guides: Heart Emoji Meanings, Emoji Combinations Guide, and Crying Emoji Meaning.