Apple’s iOS 15.4 beta introduces a number of practical features, such as the ability to use Face ID while wearing a mask and placing the Apple Card widget in the Today view. But the most exciting update offered with iOS 15.4? The fresh crop of emoji.
As pointed out by Emojipedia, there are now 37 new pictographs in the emoji library. The icons, which were revealed by Unicode back in September, include everything from a melting face and a snapping hand to playground slide and a troll to a dying battery and a dotted line face. The update also introduces variations of existing emoji, such as the popular handshake icon that is now available in more skintones, as well as gender-neutral versions of the pregnant person and person with a crown emoji.
Other notable additions are the mirror ball, glass pouring liquid, a nest with eggs, an empty nest, bubbles, a lotus flower, an X-ray, and an index finger pointing at the viewer. According to MacRumors, the update will deliver a total of 112 characters.
iOS 15.4 beta can be downloaded by users who are enrolled in Apple’s developer program; but it’s important to note that the pre-release software usually comes with bugs that can hinder a device’s performance. The iOS 15.4 update is expected to officially roll out sometime this spring. Stay tuned as more information becomes available.