Overview
- The Bavarian Digital Ministry says the Unicode Consortium declined the submission and offered no explanation even after follow-up.
- Officials direct users to add the contact 015208269773 in WhatsApp and send any message to receive the lion sticker for saving and reuse.
- The friendly lion holding the Bavarian flag was chosen in a 2024 public vote over a gingerbread heart and a dirndl‑lederhosen motif.
- Coverage notes Unicode’s strict acceptance criteria and its ecosystem of major tech companies, with subnational flags rarely approved.
- Digital Minister Fabian Mehring frames the sticker rollout as a symbolic win for regional identity despite the failed emoji bid.