Androgynous, genderqueer, and non-binary babes rejoice! Apple’s new iOS update includes a brand new batch of gender-neutral emojis.
The iOS 13.2 update has almost 400 new emojis, and 255 of them are gender-neutral versions of existing designs. Nearly all human emojis now feature a gender-neutral option, including the mermaid, genie, and vampire (just in time for Halloween). There are now a total of 457 gender-neutral emojis to choose from.
Apple users are excited about the update, though some have pointed out how silly it was to introduce the gender binary into the emoji universe in the first place.
https://twitter.com/kateleth/status/1188912822366769152?s=21
Additionally, the new update includes new interracial couple emojis. Previously, all couple emojis included two humans of the same skin tone, but now users can vary the skin tone for each member of the couple.
People with disabilities are also featured in the new emoji keyboard. New emojis show people in wheelchairs, a guide dog, a bionic arm, a hearing aid, and more.
Other random additions include an otter, a flamingo, a plate of falafel, an ice cube, and a white heart.
Unfortunately, the update still doesn’t include the trans flag on the keyboard, despite trans folks campaigning for it for years. It’s currently only possible to use a trans flag emoji as a workaround on the Android version of Whatsapp. The flag will be on the next set of emojis, due for release in 2020, per Emojipedia.
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