Unicode Emoji 18.0 Beta: All New Emojis
Unicode Emoji 18.0 is taking shape. The Unicode Consortium has published a beta chart of emoji candidates for the next release — currently labeled v18.0β on the official Emoji Recently Added page. Emoji 17.0 remains the current finalized release; 18.0 is still in progress and designs may change before vendors ship updates.
This preview adds 9 new base characters and 19 emoji sequences in total once skin-tone variants are counted. Below is a full breakdown of every addition in the beta chart, with CLDR short names and keywords from Unicode’s documentation.
What’s new at a glance
| Emoji | Name | Code | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Cracking face | U+1FAEB | Smileys & Emotion |
| | Leftwards thumb sign | U+1FAF9 | People & Body |
| | Rightwards thumb sign | U+1FAFA | People & Body |
| | Monarch butterfly | U+1FACC | Animals & Nature |
| | Pickle | U+1FADD | Food & Drink |
| | Lighthouse | U+1F6D9 | Travel & Places |
| | Meteor | U+1FA8B | Travel & Places |
| | Eraser | U+1FA8C | Objects |
| | Net with handle | U+1FA8D | Objects |
Smileys & Emotion
Cracking face (U+1FAEB)
A face with visible cracks — like a mask breaking or a smile under pressure. Unicode keywords include breaking, crumbling, masking, resilience, reveal, tension, and transformation. It fills a niche between shock and emotional overload that existing faces don’t quite capture.
People & Body
Leftwards thumb sign (U+1FAF9)
A sideways thumb pointing left — a neutral gesture for indicating that thing over there. Keywords: grip, left, neutral, point, that, this. Unicode adds 5 skin-tone variants.
Rightwards thumb sign (U+1FAFA)
The mirror of the leftwards thumb: point to something on your right with the same casual, conversational energy. Also ships with 5 skin-tone variants.
Animals & Nature
Monarch butterfly (U+1FACC)
A bright orange-and-black monarch butterfly. Keywords span caterpillar, metamorphosis, migration, hope, and transformation — a strong nature emoji for spring, conservation, and change.
Food & Drink
Pickle (U+1FADD)
A whole pickle — brined, green, and unmistakable. Tags include gherkin, cucumber, ferment, relish, and even trouble (as in “in a pickle”). Expect this one everywhere in food memes.
Travel & Places
Lighthouse (U+1F6D9)
A classic coastal lighthouse beaming light over the water. Keywords: beacon, guidance, maritime, navigation, sea, signal, and hope. Great for travel content, nautical themes, and metaphorical “finding your way” posts.
Meteor (U+1FA8B)
A flaming rock streaking through the sky. Unicode tags it with apocalypse, fireball, gravity, space, and star — useful for astronomy, gaming, and dramatic emphasis alike.
Objects
Eraser (U+1FA8C)
A handheld eraser for correcting mistakes on paper. Keywords cover correction, delete, error, undo, and writing — handy for school, design, and “take that back” moments.
Net with handle (U+1FA8D)
A small handheld net — think catching butterflies, scooping items, or a gentle trap. Keywords: catch, collect, mesh, trap.
How many emoji is that, really?
Unicode’s beta count table for v18.0 breaks down like this:
- 1 new Smileys & Emotion character (cracking face)
- 2 new People & Body characters (left/right thumb signs), plus 10 skin-tone variants
- 1 new Animals & Nature character (monarch butterfly)
- 1 new Food & Drink character (pickle)
- 2 new Travel & Places characters (lighthouse, meteor)
- 2 new Objects characters (eraser, net with handle)
Grand total: 19 new emoji sequences in the Unicode Emoji 18.0 beta chart.
Beta vs. final release
Unicode labels this chart v18.0β — meaning characters, names, and designs can still change before the version is finalized. The current production release remains Emoji 17.0. Platform vendors (Apple, Google, Samsung, etc.) typically ship new emoji in OS updates months after Unicode locks a version.
We’ll update Emoji Kitchen as Emoji 18.0 moves from beta to final and vendors publish their designs. Follow the Unicode Emoji 18.0 charts for the latest spec.
Source: Emoji Recently Added, v18.0β — Unicode, Inc. Sample images in Unicode’s chart use Noto Color Emoji.
