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Beware using the new iPhone and iPad emoji

The new iOS 14.5 has hundreds of new emoji but beware using them in emails and documents because they can look very different on other computers.  We have examples of how a simple emoji can look very different in Word or Outlook.

The new version of iOS for iPhone and iPad includes even more emoji.  Most are part of the 2020 additions to the Unicode but some others are unique to Apple. Here’s some of the new iOS 14.5 emoji as they are supposed to appear on iPhone and iPad

Source: Emojipedia which has a comprehensive explanation of the new emoji.

As usual, be careful before using the new emoji in Office documents and emails.  Emoji only look the same if everyone involved use the same operating system and software but that rarely happens.

Emoji look different on different platforms.  In this case, Word for Windows can’t cope properly with many of the new iOS 14.5 emoji, as you’ll see in the examples below.   The new couples emoji don’t display properly even in Word for iPad or Mac, which is surprising since the emoji changes have been available to iOS testers for months.

The main complication is that some new emoji are combinations of existing emoji (called a ZWJ sequence of two emoji plus a Zero Width Joiner character that’s supposed to merge the two images).  The combo emoji seem to fox Word 365 for Windows.

Couples

This is where the current Word is having trouble on all platforms.  All the new ‘couple’ emoji are combinations of existing emoji. Many apps can’t properly display the emoji, including Word for iPad, which is surprising.

There are loving couple (couple with heart) emoji and kissing couple emoji.

The couples emojis have many variations – Man & Woman, Two Women, Two Men plus a gender neutral option. And finally, various skin tone options to choose from.  Skin tone options shown in the iOS emoji panel.

But, as you can see, even Word for iPad can’t cope with the new emoji.

Syringe

Apple has changed the syringe emoji to remove the red blood. Most other platforms still have ‘used’ syringes, including the Windows emoji font.

Face with spiralled eyes

This emoji is now separate to the ? ‘Face with X eyes’ or ‘Dizzy Face’ emoji (U+1F635)

It’s a combination of emoji so it may appear as two emoji not the single.

Face exhaling

Another combo emoji, as you can see in the current Word 365 for Windows.

Heart emoji

Heart on Fire

Another combo emoji.

Mending or bandaged heart

Woman with beard

Woman with beard, just the start of many skin tone variations

New Apple emoji available now but be careful
Word’s Find can’t find all Unicode symbols and emoji
All about Microsoft’s new Emoji Key
Emoji Panel is part of Windows 10 that totally sucks

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