Here’s a first look at the new emoji arriving in iOS and Android later this year

To mark World Emoji Day today, we’re getting our first official look at some of the new emoji that are coming to smartphones later this year. Emojipedia has compiled some of the emoji designs coming to iOS and Android, and 9to5Google has some additional details on the designs coming to Android specifically.

Below you can see Apple’s take on some of the new emoji: a ninja, an all-gender sign, a coin (which has “The Crazy Ones” embossed on the top, a sneaky reference to Apple’s famous “Think Different” ads), bubble tea, a dodo, and a piñata. There’s also a pair of lungs, as well as an emoji which Unicode has called an “anatomical heart” to differentiate it from the traditional heart emoji.

Image: Emojipedia

Oh, and we’ve also had our first look at Apple’s take on the new “pinched fingers” emoji. Emojipedia notes that many users quickly dubbed it the “Italian Hand” when it was first announced, but BBC News has a rundown of the many interesting meanings the hand sign has around the world.

Google, meanwhile, says it’s been spending a lot of time on its animal emoji this year 9to5Google reports, and there’s good news for anyone who was a fan of Google’s now-classic turtle design from 2013. Google’s take on the humble turtle has gone in a different direction these last couple of years, but now Emojipedia notes it’s returning to its roots along with the frog, hatching chick, and pig face.

Image: Emojipedia

Despite the cartoony direction Google is taking for many of its animal emoji, the company says it’s working with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Victoria Bug Zoo to give its animals a “more authentic look.” Finally, some of Google’s emoji are being redesigned to make them look better while using Android’s dark mode. Check out more on 9to5Google.

As well as unveiling its new emoji designs, 9to5Google notes that Google is also rolling out its new quick access emoji bar more widely, which gives Gboard users a more convenient way to access their frequently used emoji rather than having to open up the specific emoji menu.

Unicode announced this year’s 117 emoji back in January, which include 62 new additions as well as 55 new gender and skin tone variants. They normally get a wide release in the second half of the year as new mobile operating systems updates roll out, but 9to5Google notes that you can already view and send some of Android’s new designs if you’re running the Android 11 Beta and the latest Gboard preview.