Now, iPhone users have even more designs to use. As part of Apple's iOS 18.4 update, iPhone users will have access to eight new emoji. And there is one face that everyone is already saying will be their favourite.

The new emoji list includes some items that some iPhone users might find helpful including a harp, a shovel, a leafless tree and a root vegetable.

The update also includes a few stranger choices, such as the purple 'splatter', a bright blue fingerprint, and the flag of Sark – a small Channel Island with a population of just 500. But it is the exhausted-looking 'face with bags under eyes' emoji that has Apple fans most excited.

On X one excited iPhone user wrote: 'I've never related to an emoji so much in my life'.  Another commenter wrote: 'I'm still saying that this will be the most used emoji of the year.' 'Definitely this emoji is going to take off,' one Apple user chimed in. While one added: 'The new iPhone 2025 emoji is accurate af'.

These have been selected from the September 2024 recommendations list created by the Unicode Consortium, the body responsible for deciding the standard set of emojis.

Tech giants such as Samsung, Apple and Meta apply stylised versions of the new emoji designs to their own operating systems. And they are now available on iPhone to use as part of the iOS 18.4 update which was launched yesterday.

Keith Broni, editor-in-chief of Emojipedia, which is part of the Unicode Consortium, revealed the new Apple designs in a blog post.
Mr Broni writes: 'Today Apple has officially debuted eight new emoji designs within iOS 18.4, bringing the likes of a paint splatter, a harp and a face with bags under its eyes to iPhones, iPads and all other Apple devices across the world.'

What are the new emoji on iPhone?
Face with Bags Under Eyes
Fingerprint
Splatter
Root Vegetable
Leafless Tree
Harp
Shovel
cq Flag: Sark  
The most surprising inclusion in this update is the new emoji for the flag of Sark.The inclusion of Flag for Sark is a surprise because, as Unicode Consortium admits, it stopped the inclusion of any new flag emoji back in March 2022.

At the time, Emojipedia cited the 'transient nature' of many pride flags, and the 'challenges including some identities while excluding others'.

While Mr Broni says the policy 'remains in force' Sark was permitted a new emoji because it has its own official 'ISO' country code just like the island's geographical neighbours – Jersey and Guernsey – which have their own.
Yet that didn't stop many social media commenters expressing their surprise and confusion over the choice.
'Sark flag is crazy maybe a grand total of 3 people will ever use that', one commenter complained. Another added: 'I’m obsessed with the Sark emoji – Why Sark'.Social media users also welcomed the arrival of the harp emoji, particularly for its similarity to the Guinness logo.

One enthusiastic commenter wrote: 'Harp emoji is going to change my life (and my friends being aware of my Guinness consumption) forever.' 'Updating my iPhone for the first time in 3 years to get the little Guinness harp emoji,' one commenter wrote.

However, the most divisive emoji among iPhone users is the purple 'splatter', which was loved by some and loathed by others.
One confused Apple fan wrote: 'What makes them think we need a purple splat?!?' 'What the heck is the purple splat', asked another. Another joked: 'Oh good what would I do without the purple blob'. While one commenter added: 'They implemented the purple splat emoji oh my god I thought it was a joke'. Yet the strange purple splat has garnered a few dedicated fans since its release. An excited commenter wrote: 'Splatter is goated'. While one chipped in: 'I need the purple splat emoji so bad'.

If you want to try out these new emoji for yourself, you will need to update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS 18. iOS 18.4 is compatible with all iPhones currently able to run iOS 18, which includes models from the iPhone X up to the latest iPhone 16 lineup. To install the update, open the Settings app on your iPhone.

If you have automatic downloads enabled, the update will have been installed overnight provided your iPhone was charging and connected to Wi-Fi. But, if that isn't the case, you should see a notification reading 'Software Update Available' from the Settings homepage. Tapping this notification will bring you to the Software Update page, where you can see any new updates as they are released.

If iOS 18.4 is available, simply select 'Install Now' to begin. If the option reads 'Download and Install', tap it to download the update, enter your passcode, and then tap Install Now. To find the Software Update page when there is no notification, select the tab marked 'General' and tap on 'Software Update'.

In addition to these new emoji the update includes a number of new features, including bringing the Genmoji option to European devices. This allows iPhone users to automatically generate new emoji from simple word prompts using AI.

Other updates for Apple Intelligence, Apple's suite of AI features, include the rollout of priority notifications and some minor changes to Image Playground. iPhone users will also be getting a new dedicated feature for playing ambient music from the Control Centre, in a similar manner to the Shazam music recognition feature.
The feature gives users access to four playlists titled Sleep, Chill, Productivity and Wellbeing.