From a simple idea to a universal icon on your keyboard, discover the meticulous, multi-year journey of how emojis are chosen.
in the Unicode Standard, each with a unique identity.
The typical duration from proposal submission to final UTC approval.
Full members of the Unicode Technical Committee hold the final vote.
The entire process is governed by the Unicode Consortium, a non-profit. The final technical decisions, however, are made by the Unicode Technical Committee (UTC), composed of representatives from the world's largest tech companies.
These nine full members as of May 2024 hold voting power on new emoji proposals. Their implementation of new emojis is crucial for widespread adoption.
Becoming an emoji is a rigorous, multi-step process designed to ensure every new character is globally relevant, technically sound, and has lasting value.
Proposals are judged against strict criteria. Not every idea makes the cut. Here's what the Consortium looks for—and what it rejects.
Must be relevant and understandable across multiple cultures, not specific to one region.
Should offer a new concept not already covered by the existing 3,600+ emojis.
A high priority is representing cultures, people, and objects not yet on the keyboard.
Proposals for specific real people, fictional characters, deities, or brand logos are declined.
Submissions for flags of subdivisions (like states or provinces) are generally not accepted.
Concepts must show long-term relevance, not just be based on a temporary trend or meme.
To prove long-term relevance, proposers must provide empirical evidence of usage. Recently, the required data sources were updated to favor more stable, historical analysis over fleeting search trends.
Google & Bing Search
Considered too volatile and susceptible to short-term trends.
Google Books & Ngram Viewer
Provides a more robust, academic, and historical view of a concept's usage in print.
Unicode standardizes the *concept* (e.g., "Grinning Face") and assigns it a code point. It's up to each tech company to design the final look. This is why emojis look different on Apple, Google, and other platforms.
Once the Unicode Technical Committee approves an emoji, it can take 6-12 months or more for vendors to design, implement, and release it in a software update. This involves creating fonts, updating keyboard palettes, and modifying system libraries.
A new emoji concept is officially added to the Unicode Standard.
Apple, Google, Microsoft, and others design their platform-specific art style.
The emoji becomes available to users via major OS and app updates.
Unicode standardizes the central concept, but vendors provide the diverse visual interpretations we see and use daily.