The New iPhone Emojis We Expect To See In 2023

Emojis are some of the most anticipated additions to any major iOS update, even more so than many new features. While most people might not communicate entirely in emojis, they are still essential in expressing emotions in a way that words cannot entirely convey. After all, a picture says a thousand words, even a tiny yellow one that depicts a specific movement or emotion.

Thankfully, we're gearing up to get some brand-new emojis added to our phones in the coming months. According to Emojipedia, new icons will arrive on iPhones and other devices around September 2023 via the Unicode update titled Emoji Version 15.1. (The last time we got new emojis was back in March, including a donkey, a jellyfish, a traditional fan, and the Khanda.)

As there are still a few months left to go before the official emojis are released, there will likely be more to be announced, so don't consider this a definitive list. However, what is slated to be released promises some cool additions that make slight but impactful changes to how we communicate with emojis.

The majority of the emojis proposed in Version 15.1 are inverses of pre-existing emojis, meaning there aren't as many wholly unique emojis as in previous updates. That said, it doesn't mean these emojis won't be a big help to iPhone users. Examples of these inverted emojis include various ones depicting movement — emojis walking, running, and playing sports, in all genders and races, will now be facing right instead of the default left. There will also be new family emoji combinations to choose from.

While there aren't as many new emojis on the table, that doesn't mean there aren't some cool ones Version 15.1 will offer. Major ones include two shaking head emojis, one shaking vertically and the other horizontally. There will also be new plant and food representation in the form of brown mushroom and lime emojis. Plus, an extension of the chain emoji that will be shown as broken. However, undoubtedly the most intriguing new emoji is expected to be the phoenix — this fiery bird will join other fictional entities, such as dragons and unicorns, as mythical creatures represented on iPhones.

Final designs and expected release dates for these emojis have not been confirmed. However, as stated by Emojipedia, the rollout is expected to begin sometime in September 2023. Whether it will hit iOS systems first is also unknown, but likely.