It's like looking in a mirror
Meet the New Apple Emojis—One Captures 2025’s Vibe Perfectly
Published on Apr. 04, 2025
Forget about asking someone their favorite color, ice cream flavor or hobby. The best way to get to know someone is through their favorite emoji. C’mon, you know there’s one that you use incessantly—the one that sums up what you’re thinking most of the time. For me, it’s “Grinning Face with Sweat.” But with the Apple iOS 18.4 update that just rolled out, that guy has some competition.
Yep, we now have a new emoji to use (which, quite honestly, is the best news to come out all week), plus some other updates. But really, it’s all about the emoji.
Read on to find out which new emoji is all of us in 2025.
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How many new emojis is Apple releasing?
With the latest update, Apple is releasing eight new emojis. There really doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the new additions because they’re spread across all categories. It’s not like we got a ton of new vegetables (just a single radish) or flags (oddly, only the flag of Sark, a super tiny island off the coast of France). The emoji team didn’t go all in on one theme but rather gave us a smattering of randoms.
What is the best new emoji for 2025?
Let’s cut to the chase: Of the eight new emojis, “Face with Bags Under Eyes” is the clear front-runner. I mean, seriously, it’s as if the folks over at Apple are in my head. There’s not enough concealer in the world to cover the luggage I’m packing underneath my eyes. So I see you “Face with Bags Under Eyes,” and I wish I could give you a hug.
I know I’m not the only one who feels this way in 2025. Between inflation driving up the cost of nearly everything, January’s intense wildfires in California that are now plaguing other parts of the country, the waves of job cuts across different sectors, a tanking stock market—well, you get the picture. It’s a feeding frenzy for those under-eye bags.
What other emojis are new for 2025?
As mentioned earlier, this iOS update is giving us eight new emojis. And while I’m definitely playing favorites with “Face with Bags Under Eyes,” the others certainly deserve their time to shine. Here’s the emoji class of 2025:
- Radish
- Flag of Sark
- Fingerprint
- Purple Paint Splatter
- Tree Without Leaves
- Harp
- Shovel
- Face with Bags Under Eyes
When will these emojis be available?
They’re available right now—but you have to update your iPhone with iOS 18.4 to get them. Also important to know: This update is compatible only with iPhones 11 and higher, iPhone Xr, iPhone Xs and iPhone SE (second and third generations).
If you have one of the compatible models, here’s how to get the update:
- Go to Settings.
- Click on General.
- Click on Software Update. (This screen will show you which software you’re currently using and tell you if you’re eligible for the update now.)
What other Apple changes are included in this update?
There are a lot of little tweaks and fixes, as well as some additional features that are pretty cool, especially if you take a lot of photos. Personally, I love an update as much as I love lesser-known iPhone hacks. Here’s what you’ll get with this one:
- Expanded Apple Intelligence features. This allows alerts for important messages, the option to make a memory movie on Mac just by describing it, and a new sketch style that creates detailed, academic-style drawings.
- Enhanced photo organization. The new Photos app makes it easy to find memories, with smart organization, quick access to favorites and customizable features.
- More control-panel options. This section now has an Apple Intelligence section through which you can either Talk to Siri, Type to Siri or use Visual Intelligence. And for anyone who wants to set the mood, there’s also an Ambient Noise feature with separate sounds that convey Sleep, Chill, Productivity and Well-being.
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Sources:
- Emojipedia: “Apple iOS 18.4 Emoji Changelog”
- CNET: “iOS 18 Cheat Sheet: Apple Intelligence, Emoji and Other New iPhone Features”
- Apple: “What improvements does iOS 18.4 bring?”
