The following is a list of proposed Unicode chart glyph and/or annotations changes for many emoji charactersβ, to promote better interchange across platforms.
Emoji characters provided on platforms do not have to look identical to the Unicode charts, but the charts, names, and annotations do provide guidance in producing images that work across different platforms. While the formal Unicode character name cannot be changed, name annotations can be used to provide a more accurate description of the character. For more information, see Design Guidelines.
The annotations would be targeted at Unicode 8.0, but the chart glyph changes may come afterwards. The annotations are given as a bulleted phrase. The 7.0 Chart Glyph is the one that would be changed to the Proposed Chart Glyph: the Apple, Android, and Windows chart glyphs are purely for comparison.
The draft list of recommendations is presented here for public feedback to the Unicode Consortium. We are interested in feedback either in favor of proposed changes or against them. Please use the Online contact form to supply feedback, and be sure to include the Code for each character referred to. You may also suggest changes for other emoji from the full-emoji-list. The Unicode emoji subcommittee may add further proposed changes.
In reviewing, it will be helpful to click on the Code to see the appearance on more platforms, including the original Japanese carriers (DCM, KDDI, SB). For example, the line for 1F46F (WOMAN WITH BUNNY EARS) shows how the appearance in the Japanese carrier images led to differences among the more recent platform images. You can also zoom in on the images below in your browser to see more details.
Code | Name, 7.0 annotations |
U7.0 Chart Glyph |
Prop. Chart Glyph |
Apple |
Andr. |
Wind. |
Proposed annotation additions for 8.0 (unless otherwise noted) |
Notes |
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1F62F | HUSHED FACE |
no change
|
β’ should not have zipper mouth β 1F910 zipper-mouth face |
Zipper-mouth face is a separate character in 8.0. | ||||
1F62A | SLEEPY FACE | β 1F62B tired face β 1F634 sleeping face |
Propose changing the chart glyph to remove the nasal bubble, which is too specific to Japanese usage; make more like the Windows image. Consider whether this will change the interpretation in Japan. | |||||
1F60C | RELIEVED FACE | β’ depicts relief, not sleeping β 1F62A sleepy face β 1F634 sleeping face |
Change the chart glyph to more clearly indicate relief, perhaps adding a hand wiping the brow. |
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1F624 | FACE WITH LOOK OF TRIUMPH | β’ indicates triumph, not anger |
Propose changing the chart glyph to remove the βsteam from noseβ, to appear like it is winning, not angry / fed up. Consider whether this will change the interpretation in Japan. |
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1F626 | FROWNING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH | β’ frowning, not shocked or surprised |
Fix the chart glyph to appear less shocked, and more frowning. A frown with an βopen mouthβ is difficult to achieve. Twitter achieves a clearer version of this than the chart glyph. |
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1F62C | GRIMACING FACE | β’ indicates a grimace, either determination or in pain, not anger |
Fix the chart glyph to not look angry. Should be more βgritting teethβ. |
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1F633 | FLUSHED FACE | β’ embarrassed |
Fix the chart glyph to appear with eyes open, and a straight mouth, to clarify embarrassment more clearly. Use 1F610 (Neutral Face) and add shading for red cheeks to achieve this. This emoji is difficult to use at present due to the wide variety of implementations: Apple (alarmed), Google (resigned), or Microsoft (happy go lucky, but with sheepish eyes) |
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1F635 | DIZZY FACE |
Fix the chart glyph to use βswirlyβ eyes, as on Android and Windows. It better represents βdizzyβ, and less confusion with astonished face. |
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1F621 | POUTING FACE | β’ intended to depict pouting rather than simply angry β 1F64E person with pouting face β 1F63E pouting cat face |
Make the chart glyph more pouting. |
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1F47F | IMP | β’ commonly depicted as a frowning/angry version of 1F608 β 1F608 smiling face with horns |
Make the glyph be an a frowning/angry version of 1F608 |
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1F608 | SMILING FACE WITH HORNS | no change |
β’ commonly depicted as a (sinister) smiling version of 1F47F β 1F47F imp |
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1F477 | CONSTRUCTION WORKER |
no change
|
β’ on the helmet some representations show a green cross,
used as a safety reminder in Japan β 26D1 helmet with white cross |
Change the chart glyph to be not have a cross, so that it doesn't look like an EMT or other first-aid helmet. |
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1F46F | WOMAN WITH BUNNY EARS | β’ most popularly depicts two women dancing (unified with the Softbank emoji character) |
Change the chart glyph to make it two women dancing, with smaller ears. People far prefer the two women dancing (meaning βpartyβ) rather than the Playboy Bunny appearance. This character resulted from the unification of KDDI sjisF3AF βγγγΌβ=βbunnyβ i.e. Playboy Bunny (the chart glyph was a blonde female head with bunny ears) and Softbank sjisFB69 βγ©γ€γ³γγ³γΉβ=βline danceβ (animated image was two women seemingly dancing in a chorus line, with smaller catlike ears). These were already cross-mapped by those two vendors, with the idea that both conveyed the notion of βshowgirlβ. Notes from emojipedia: Also known as: Dancing Girls Emoji, Tap Dance Emoji, Ballet Emoji, β¦β |
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1F64E | PERSON WITH POUTING FACE | β’ intended to depict pouting rather than simply angry β 1F621 pouting face β 1F63E pouting cat face |
Make the chart glyph more pouting. Note that what constitutes a βpoutingβ look is fairly culturally-specific and may be difficult to convey in a general way. |
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1F645 | FACE WITH NO GOOD GESTURE | β’ the reverse of face with ok gesture, conveying βno dealβ,
or βnot okβ, not anger Γ 1F646 face with ok gesture |
Change the chart glyph to show more of the face, and that it is not angry. Also misinterpreted frequently. |
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1F481 | INFORMATION DESK PERSON |
no change
|
β’ often used to indicate βsassyβ or βcarefreeβ | |||||
1F64F | PERSON WITH FOLDED HANDS β’ can indicate sorrow or regret β’ can indicate pleading |
no change
|
β’ can also indicate praying, bowing, or thanking |
Not a high-five. |
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1F483 | DANCER | β’ may be either gender; also used for βletβs partyβ. |
Fix the chart glyph to use a woman instead of a man dancing. Appleβs dancing woman image has become very iconic, and seems to imply a different meaning than the disco-dancing man. A gender-neutral image like Android or Windows might be a noble goal, but it removes some aspect of how this is used: generally as βletβs partyβ or βletβs forget our worries and have a good timeβ. |
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1F48F | KISS = two people kissing |
β’ most commonly shown as two heads with kiss-shaped mouths
tilted towards each other, with a heart between β 1F491 couple with heart |
Make the chart glyph be gender-neutral using smiley faces. |
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1F491 | COUPLE WITH HEART | β’ most commonly shown as two heads tilted towards each
other, with a heart between β 1F48F kiss |
Make the chart glyph be gender-neutral using smiley faces. |
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1F47B | GHOST | β’ most commonly shown with a larger, friendlier face |
Fix the chart glyph to use an identifiable face on the ghost. Commonly used for Halloween, and light-hearted matters. the chart glyph at present is a scarier-looking ghost than most interpretations. |
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1F47E | ALIEN MONSTER | β 1F916 robot face |
Change the chart glyph to something like Windows or Android, instead. |
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1F4A9 | PILE OF POO = dog dirt |
β’ most popularly depicted as a friendly face with eyes |
Fix the chart glyph to have eyes, to match popular expectations. |
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1F63E | POUTING CAT FACE | β’ intended to depict pouting rather than simply angry β 1F621 pouting face β 1F64E person with pouting face |
Make the chart glyph more pouting. Note that what constitutes a βpoutingβ look is fairly culturally-specific and may be difficult to convey in a general way. |
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1F640 | WEARY CAT FACE | β’ indicates tired, not horrified | ||||||
1F33B | SUNFLOWER | β’ most commonly shown with leaves and stem |
Fix the chart glyph to include stem and leaves on the sunflower. This is how sunflowers are generally drawn, the leaves being an important part of identification. Apple, Windows and Twitter are good examples. |
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1F335 | CACTUS β 1F3DC desert |
β’ most commonly shown as a three-prong saguaro cactus |
Fix the chart glyph of cactus to use three-prong cactus (Saguaro), easily identifiable by more people. All platforms already use this style. The character already has the annotation |
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1F35C | STEAMING BOWL = ramen noodles |
β’ commonly tilted to show that the contents are food, not
beverage β 1F375 teacup without handle |
Fix the chart glyph to tilt the bowl to show that the contents are food, and not beverage. Makes this distinct from 1F375 Teacup Without Handle. |
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1F364 | FRIED SHRIMP |
Change the chart glyph to look like a fried shrimp. More like Apple's, but B&W of course. |
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1F373 | COOKING = frying pan, cooking utensil |
β’ commonly tilted to show the contents |
Fix the chart glyph to use tilted or top-down image of frypan with egg. Current the chart glyph is difficult to see. |
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1F69C | TRACTOR | β’ commonly uses more modern image, showing cab but not driver |
Fix the chart glyph to appear like a modern tractor, without a driver. See the vendor the chart glyphs from the link.β |
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1F4BA | SEAT |
no change
|
β’ intended to denote reserved or ticketed seat as for an airplane, train, or theater |
Not an arbitrary chair (like a kitchen chair or armchair). |
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1F387 | FIREWORK SPARKLER β’ long, stick-like firework that looks like a burning incense stick |
no change
|
Open issue: Weβve gotten complaints that a firework sparkler is βTypically a stick held in the hand, not something hanging downβ. Fix the chart glyph or annotate the name, or do nothing? |
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1F3B1 | BILLIARDS | β’ commonly depicted using just an 8-ball |
Change the chart glyph to show just an 8 ball. Lends itself to more usage. |
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1F3CD | RACING MOTORCYCLE |
no change
|
β’ may be an ordinary motorcycle, especially in emoji presentation | |||||
1F4DE | TELEPHONE RECEIVER β 1F57B left hand telephone receiver β 1F57D right hand telephone receiver |
β’ commonly faces towards the right, so that a face can be positioned afterwards |
Fix the chart glyph to flip horizontal orientation of phone receiver. Receiver faces left at present, whereas all platforms except Android show this the opposite way. Note: for historical reasons, there are 3 different receivers in Unicode. The other two have specific orientations. |
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1F4DC | SCROLL |
Fix the chart glyph to show as a traditional scroll with a roll at the top and bottom, like the Apple or Twitter images. |
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1F516 | BOOKMARK β 1F3F7 label |
β’ indicates a bookmark, not a price tag |
Change the chart glyph to look less like a price tag, and more like a bookmark. Maybe two streamers or a tassel? |
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1F4B1 | CURRENCY EXCHANGE | β’ typically shown with arrows indicating transfer between currencies |
Fix the chart glyph to appear more similar to iOS, Windows, or Twitter versions with an arrow pointing between currencies. This shows an exchange, whereas the current the chart glyph looks like βmultiple currenciesβ or βmoneyβ without any indication of exchange. |
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1F4E7 | E-MAIL SYMBOL β’ glyph may show an @-sign instead of an E β 1F584 envelope with lightning |
[When the chart glyph is updated as proposed, the following informative
note should replace the current note:] β’ glyph may show an E instead of an @-sign |
Fix the chart glyph show an envelope with an @ symbol on it, instead of the letter E, like Android Windows. Few people would equate βEβ with email more than the @ symbol, and the latter is also less language sensitive. |