Emoji 18.0: The 19 New Emojis Approved in 2026
Unicode announced version 18.0 on September 16, 2026. Its emoji update brings nine new characters and ten skin tone variants, for 19 additions in total. A cracking face, a pickle and a lighthouse are among the newcomers.
The New Characters
| Emoji | Name | Codepoint |
|---|---|---|
| ๐ซซ | Cracking face | U+1FAEB |
| ๐ซน | Leftwards thumb sign | U+1FAF9 |
| ๐ซบ | Rightwards thumb sign | U+1FAFA |
| ๐ซ | Monarch butterfly | U+1FACC |
| ๐ซ | Pickle | U+1FADD |
| ๐ | Lighthouse | U+1F6D9 |
| ๐ช | Meteor | U+1FA8B |
| ๐ช | Eraser | U+1FA8C |
| ๐ช | Net with handle | U+1FA8D |
Both thumb gestures also support five skin tones. Those ten sequences explain why the update is described as either nine new characters or 19 new emojis. Unicode's official additions chart lists the complete set.
Why Add a Pickle When We Have a Cucumber?
Some additions help distinguish things that existing platform designs have blurred together. A pickle is different from a fresh cucumber; a meteor is different from a comet; a monarch is a particular butterfly.
As Emojipedia explains, platforms have sometimes illustrated the existing cucumber, comet and butterfly emojis differently. Separate characters give those concepts their own identities. Existing messages keep their original characters, while vendors decide how to update their artwork.
When Can You Use Them?
Approval establishes the characters and sequences. Keyboard and font support arrives through separate platform updates, so availability will vary by device and app. An unsupported character may appear as a box even when someone else's phone displays it correctly.
You can copy the new characters from their Emoji Spark pages. If the recipient cannot see them yet, include a few words of context.