Overview

• The Unicode Consortium’s 2025 update adds dumpling, hijab and person with white cane emojis to boost cultural representation and accessibility
• The red heart emoji claims the global usage crown for the first time, followed by the crying face and fire icons
• A US survey of 2,400 respondents names the face with tears of joy both the nation’s favorite and its most overused symbol, while the pile of poo ranks as least liked
• Studies by Babbel.com and Emojipedia reveal Gen Z users assign ironic meanings to emojis such as skull and thumbs up, contrasting with literal readings by older generations
• Brands and tech platforms are hosting art challenges, trivia nights and custom emoji campaigns to underscore icons’ role in bridging language barriers