Android Nougat is here, and it comes with one of the system’s biggest updates to emoji, based on the new Unicode 9.0 release.
As part of the Nougat update, Google announced that it will support the Emoji Unicode 9 standard, which includes a number of new pictorials. Also included are skin tone variations, a feature that iOS users have been enjoying for some time.
But perhaps the most interesting change is that Google has moved away from its often-reviled cartoon emoji in favor of a “more human-looking design,” according to the Nougat webpage.
New glyphs include “Face Palm,” “Bacon,” and “Mother Christmas,” most of which are available in Android 7.0.
Google already added a host of new emoji with Android 6.0.1 back in December, but as with any new Android release, only a small percentage of users have received it. Of course, some manufacturers override Google’s own emoji design. Samsung in particular has its own unique set of emoji, and it’s unclear whether Google’s changes in Nougat will have any impact on how the company approaches its pictorials in the future.
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