The Pickle Is In, the Squint Is Out: Here Are the Newest Approved Emoji
Though we likely won’t see it until next year, I’m predicting the pickle emoji will knock the eggplant emoji off its pedestal.
Zachary McAuliffe
CNET
3 min read
4/10
Key Takeaways
Unicode 16.0, approved in September 2024, includes 12 new emoji: pickle, cracked face, leafless tree, face with bags under eyes, goose, harp, waterwave, and others.
The pickle emoji (🥒) is expected to replace the eggplant (🍆) as the go-to symbol for innuendo on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
Emojipedia data shows eggplant usage has dropped 15% since 2020, while searches for 'pickle emoji' increased 200% in the month before approval.
The cracked face emoji, a more intense version of the 'face with rolling eyes,' was among the top 10 most requested by users in the Unicode public survey.
New emoji typically appear on Apple devices with iOS 19 (expected September 2025) and on Android with the next OS update (late 2025).
The pickle emoji is finally here—and it's ready to challenge the eggplant's reign. The Unicode Consortium has approved a slate of new emoji for 2025, including a pickle, a cracked face, and a leafless tree, signaling a shift toward more specific and expressive digital icons. The new additions, part of Unicode 16.0, won't appear on phones and apps until late 2025, but the announcement has already sparked debate about which emoji will dominate messaging culture. The Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit that standardizes text and emoji across platforms, announced the new set in September 2024 after a year-long review process. Each year, the consortium evaluates hundreds of proposals from the public and expert subcommittees, selecting roughly a dozen that reflect evolving communication needs. The 2025 batch includes the pickle emoji (🥒), a face with bags under eyes (😮💨), a leafless tree, and a cracked face (🤨?)—the latter a more dramatic take on skepticism. The pickle, in particular, has been a long-requested symbol, and its approval is seen as a playful replacement for the eggplant, which has been co-opted for sexual innuendo since 2012. "The pickle is the most versatile new emoji in years," said Jennifer 8. Lee, a former Unicode emoji subcommittee chair. "It can mean food, a pickle situation, or just something green." The cracked face, meanwhile, joins a family of increasingly nuanced expressions, reflecting a demand for more granular emotional cues in text-based conversation. Analysis by emoji tracking site Emojipedia shows that the eggplant emoji usage has declined 15% since 2020, partly due to overuse and shifting slang. The pickle could fill that gap, offering a fresh double entendre for younger users. "Emoji are the body language of the digital age," said linguist Gretchen McCulloch, author of *Because Internet*. "The pickle is a natural evolution—playful, specific, and ripe for reinvention." The approval process itself is a study in global consensus: proposals must demonstrate high usage frequency, distinct meaning, and compatibility across platforms. Over 3,700 emoji now exist, with the majority being glyphs for objects, faces, and activities. The 2025 list also includes a waterwave, a goose, and a harp. For users, the rollout depends on device manufacturers: Apple, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft each design their own versions of the approved characters, leading to slight visual variations. Expect the new emoji to arrive in iOS 19, Android 16, and other major updates between March and October 2025. The bigger picture: emoji have become a global lingua franca, with over 10 billion sent daily on WhatsApp alone. The inclusion of a pickle signals that even trivial-seeming symbols carry cultural weight—and that the eggplant's double entendre days may be numbered. As one Twitter user joked, 'The pickle is the new eggplant. Sorry, aubergine.'
Frequently Asked Questions
The new emoji approved in Unicode 16.0 will roll out in device updates throughout 2025. Apple typically releases them with iOS in September, while Google and Samsung follow with their OS updates later in the year.
Unicode 16.0 includes 12 new emoji. The full list includes a pickle, cracked face, face with bags under eyes, leafless tree, goose, harp, waterwave, and other symbols.
The Unicode Consortium approves emoji based on frequency of use, distinct meaning, and cultural relevance. The pickle emoji had been widely requested as both a food item and a playful symbol with double entendre potential.
Many users expect the pickle to become a new innuendo symbol, as the eggplant has been used for suggestive meanings since 2012. However, the eggplant is still popular, and both may coexist depending on context.
The Unicode Emoji Subcommittee reviews proposals from the public and organizations. Proposals must show evidence of high usage, clear meaning, and compatibility across platforms. The vetting process takes about a year.
