Every day, billions of emoji are sent through text messages, emails, social media posts, and group chats.
Whether it’s a simple thumbs-up, a crying face, or a heart, emoji have become one of the world’s most widely used forms of digital communication. In fact, the most popular emoji are used billions of times each day across messaging platforms.
But have you ever stopped to wonder how emoji are made?
Who decides that one emoji deserves to exist while another doesn’t? Why do new emoji appear every year? And why does the same emoji sometimes look different on an iPhone, Android phone, or Windows computer?
The answer involves an international standards organization, detailed proposals, and collaboration between some of the world’s biggest technology companies.
Emoji Are Standardized by the Unicode Consortium
Contrary to popular belief, Apple, Google, Samsung, or WhatsApp do not decide which new emoji become part of the global emoji set.
That responsibility belongs to the Unicode Consortium, a non-profit organization that develops and maintains the Unicode Standard—the global system that allows computers and smartphones to display text and symbols consistently across different platforms.
Its members include major technology companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Adobe, and others, alongside experts in linguistics, accessibility, and international computing.
When the Unicode Consortium approves a new emoji, it becomes part of the Unicode Standard. Device manufacturers and software companies can then add their own visual versions of that emoji.
Anyone Can Propose a New Emoji
One surprising fact is that almost anyone can submit a proposal for a new emoji.
The Unicode Consortium publishes detailed submission guidelines explaining what should be included.
A proposal typically needs to explain:
- Why people would use the emoji
- How frequently it is likely to be used
- Whether similar emoji already exist
- Why it would improve digital communication
Simply wanting your favourite animal or food to become an emoji isn’t enough.
Successful proposals usually include evidence that the emoji would have broad, long-term appeal.
Not Every Idea Gets Approved
Every year, the Unicode Consortium receives more proposals than it accepts.
Some common reasons for rejection include:
- The idea is too specific.
- It duplicates an existing emoji.
- It is unlikely to be widely used.
- It represents a temporary trend or meme.
For example, internet jokes or viral characters are generally not approved because emoji are intended to remain useful for many years.
The Consortium aims to build a collection that works across cultures and languages rather than reflecting short-lived online trends.
What Happens After Approval?
Approval is only the beginning.
Once an emoji becomes part of the Unicode Standard, companies create their own artwork for it.
This is why the same emoji may look different depending on the device you’re using.
For example:
- Apple designs emoji for iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
- Google creates emoji for Android and its own products.
- Microsoft designs emoji for Windows.
- Samsung creates its own versions for Galaxy devices.
Although the artwork varies, each version represents the same Unicode character, allowing people on different devices to understand the intended meaning.
Why Emoji Look Different on Different Devices
You may have noticed that an emoji sent from one phone sometimes appears slightly different on another.
That’s because Unicode standardizes what the emoji represents—not how it should look.
Each company has its own design style.
For example:
- Apple’s emoji tend to appear polished and three-dimensional.
- Google’s designs are generally cleaner and more modern.
- Microsoft’s emoji often follow the company’s Fluent Design style.
- Samsung’s emoji have their own distinct visual identity.
While these differences are usually minor, they can occasionally change how an emoji is interpreted.
How New Emoji Are Chosen
When reviewing proposals, the Unicode Consortium considers several factors.
Expected Popularity
Will millions of people actually use the emoji?
Emoji that represent common emotions, objects, foods, or activities generally have a stronger chance of approval.
Distinctiveness
The emoji should represent something meaningfully different from those already available.
If several existing emoji already communicate the same idea, a new one is less likely to be approved.
Compatibility
Sometimes Unicode adds emoji to improve compatibility with systems or platforms that already use similar symbols.
Cultural Relevance
The Consortium also tries to ensure that emoji represent a broad range of cultures, professions, accessibility needs, and everyday experiences.
This is one reason recent emoji updates have included more diverse skin tones, gender-neutral options, disability-related symbols, and culturally significant objects.
How Long Does the Process Take?
Creating a new emoji isn’t quick.
From proposal submission to appearing on smartphones, the process can take well over a year.
The general process looks like this:
- A proposal is submitted.
- Unicode reviews the proposal.
- Approved emoji become part of a new Unicode release.
- Technology companies design their own versions.
- Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, and others include them in software updates.
- Users receive the new emoji after updating their devices.
This explains why people sometimes hear about new emoji months before they appear on their phones.
Can Companies Create Their Own Emoji?
Companies can create stickers, custom reactions, and platform-specific icons inside their apps.
However, if they want an emoji that works across iPhones, Android phones, Windows computers, and other platforms, it generally needs to become part of the Unicode Standard.
Without Unicode approval, the symbol won’t display consistently across different devices.
What’s Next for Emoji?
Emoji continue to evolve alongside digital communication.
Recent updates have reflected growing interest in:
- Accessibility
- Cultural diversity
- Gender inclusivity
- New foods and objects
- Everyday activities
At the same time, the Unicode Consortium has become increasingly selective, focusing on additions that are likely to remain useful for years rather than chasing internet trends.
As digital communication changes, future emoji will likely continue to emphasize broad usability rather than novelty.
Understanding how emoji are made reveals that these tiny symbols involve far more planning than most people realize.
They aren’t invented overnight by Apple or Google. Instead, they go through a careful review process led by the Unicode Consortium, where proposals are evaluated for usefulness, popularity, and long-term relevance.
The next time a new emoji appears on your phone after a software update, you’ll know it has likely spent months—or even years—moving from a proposal to an international standard before finally making its way into your keyboard.
