How to Propose a New Emoji to Unicode
Anyone can propose a new emoji, for free, and you do not need to work for Apple or Google. You write a PDF proposal, make two sizes of images in colour and black and white, attach five screenshots that prove people search for the thing, and submit it through Unicode's form during its yearly window. Below is every step from Unicode's own guidelines, checked on 24 October 2026, plus how long an accepted emoji actually takes to reach a phone.
Is Unicode accepting proposals right now?
No. The 2026 window opened on 2 April 2026 and closed on 31 July 2026. Unicode's guidelines page says submissions will re-open in 2027 and has not given a date yet. If you submitted in 2026, Unicode says you will hear the status of your proposal no later than 30 November 2026.
Checked against unicode.org on 24 October 2026. Guidelines last updated by Unicode on 11 August 2026.
The proposal, step by step
- 1
Check the idea has not already been proposed
Search Unicode's list of past proposals and their status. If the concept is marked Under Consideration or Prioritization Pending, Unicode says no new proposal is needed. If it was declined in the last four years it is not eligible to be proposed again yet.
- 2
Make sure it is not in a category Unicode refuses
Some ideas are declined automatically, however good the proposal: logos and brands, flags, exact images of a specific thing, and emoji that contain text. Also check the idea cannot already be written with existing emoji, for example as a ZWJ sequence or a pair like ๐งโ๐ณ.
- 3
Collect the five frequency screenshots
Unicode wants evidence that people use the word. Take screenshots of results from Google Search, Google Video Search, Google Trends for web search, Google Trends for image search, and the Google Books Ngram Viewer. The Trends searches must include the word elephant as a comparison term, so the reviewers can compare your idea with an emoji that already exists.
- 4
Draw the images
Put a colour image and a black and white image at the top of the first page, each at 18 by 18 and 72 by 72 pixels. Grayscale is not accepted as black and white. You must own the images, including anything made with AI tools, or link a source that clearly shows a public domain or open licence. A proposal without licence information is rejected.
- 5
Write the PDF in Unicode's order
Title it "Proposal for Emoji" followed by a descriptive name, then list the submitters with one main contact, and the date. The numbered sections are: 1 Identification (keywords and the category it belongs in), 2 Images with the licence statement, 3 Factors for inclusion, 4 Factors for exclusion, 5 Other information. Answer every factor with evidence, not opinion.
- 6
Submit through the form
During the open window, submit through Unicode's form with a public link to the PDF and accept its licence agreement. Unicode will not consider a document that is not publicly available or is incomplete.
- 7
Wait, and answer quickly if it comes back
Unicode's Emoji Standard and Research Working Group reviews the submissions and does not answer status questions. A proposal can be returned for changes. If it is not sent back within 60 days it is marked Expired. Accepted ideas are marked Under Consideration and can still take years.
What the reviewers are scoring
Section 3 and 4 of your PDF must answer each of these by name. They are Unicode's own factors; the explanations are ours.
| Factor | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Multiple meanings | It works as a metaphor or in slang, not only as the literal object. ๐ฅ means fire, but also excellent. |
| Use in sequences | People can combine it with other emoji to say new things. |
| Breaks new ground | It adds something the current set cannot express at all. |
| Distinctiveness | It is recognisable at chat size, and not a near-copy of an existing emoji. |
| Usage level | The five screenshots show real, lasting demand. This is where most proposals are won or lost. |
| Completeness | It fills an obvious gap in a set, such as a missing animal in a group that already has its relatives. |
| Compatibility | It matches a symbol that is already popular on a major platform. |
| Factor | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Already representable | It can already be shown with an existing emoji or sequence. |
| Overly specific | It is one particular instance where a general emoji would cover it, a specific dish rather than food. |
| Open-ended | Accepting it would invite hundreds of similar requests, like every breed of dog. |
| Transient | It is a trend or a meme that may not be used in a few years. |
| Faulty comparison | The argument is that another emoji exists, so this one should too. That on its own does not count. |
Your odds: fewer new emoji every year
Unicode says only "a very small percentage" of proposals advance, and that it approves fewer every year. Its own emoji list bears that out. These are the new emoji each release added, not counting skin tone variants:
| Year | Release | New emoji |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Emoji 5.0 | 79 |
| 2018 | Emoji 11.0 | 77 |
| 2019 | Emoji 12.0 | 75 |
| 2019 | Emoji 12.1 | 23 |
| 2020 | Emoji 13.0 | 67 |
| 2020 | Emoji 13.1 | 7 |
| 2021 | Emoji 14.0 | 37 |
| 2022 | Emoji 15.0 | 21 |
| 2023 | Emoji 15.1 | 28 |
| 2024 | Emoji 16.0 | 8 |
| 2025 | Emoji 17.0 | 8 |
| 2026 | Emoji 18.0 | 9 |
The last three releases added 25 between them, against 79 in 2017 alone. A proposal now competes for a handful of places a year, which is why the usage evidence matters more than the design.
How long it takes to reach your phone
Unicode does not publish a typical time from submission to release, so here is one real example. Emojipedia reports that the apple core was proposed in late 2024 and appeared on the draft list for Emoji 18.0, uploaded in late 2025, before it was removed. Emoji 18.0 itself was approved on 16 September 2026. Then each company has to draw and ship it, and our own release records show how long that takes:
| Platform update | Emoji version | Shipped | Days after Unicode approval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 26H2 | Emoji 17.0 | 27 August 2026 | 352 |
| iOS 26.4 | Emoji 17.0 | 24 March 2026 | 196 |
| WhatsApp 2.26.8.72 | Emoji 17.0 | 6 March 2026 | 178 |
| One UI 8.5 | Emoji 17.0 | 25 February 2026 | 169 |
| iOS 18.4 | Emoji 16.0 | 31 March 2025 | 202 |
| iOS 17.4 | Emoji 15.1 | 5 March 2024 | 175 |
| iOS 16.4 | Emoji 15.0 | 27 March 2023 | 195 |
| iOS 15.4 | Emoji 14.0 | 14 March 2022 | 181 |
Apple has taken between 175 and 202 days for each of its last 5 emoji updates, so roughly six months after Unicode approves the set. Put together, an idea submitted in a 2027 window should not be expected on an iPhone before 2029, and that is if it is accepted at all.
Where most proposals go wrong
The common failure is treating the proposal as a design contest. The images only have to be clear. They are not what anyone's phone will show, because Apple, Google, Samsung and the rest each draw their own version of every emoji. What decides a proposal is the evidence section. A strong one shows the word holding steady or growing for years in Trends and Ngram, compares it fairly with elephant, and answers every exclusion factor honestly, including the ones that hurt.
What you get if it is accepted
Your name does not appear on anyone's keyboard, and the name you chose may not survive either: Unicode says the working group and the Unicode Technical Committee can change it. The proposal itself has to be a publicly available document from the moment you submit it, which is also why the licence rules for the images are so strict.
Emoji on the current draft listWhich phones have Emoji 18.0The newest emojiEvery Unicode emoji versionTest which emoji your device shows
Emoji proposal questions
When can I submit an emoji proposal?
Only during Unicode's yearly window. The 2026 one ran from 2 April to 31 July 2026. Unicode says submissions re-open in 2027 and has not announced the dates, so check its emoji proposals page in spring.
Does it cost money to propose an emoji?
No. Submitting is free and anyone can do it. What it costs is time: the PDF, two image sizes in colour and black and white, and the five frequency screenshots Unicode requires.
Can I propose a flag or a brand logo as an emoji?
No. Unicode declines logos, brands and flags automatically, along with emoji that contain text and exact images of one particular thing. New flags only arrive through changes to the ISO country code list, not through proposals.
My proposal was declined. Can I send it again?
Not for four years. Unicode does not re-review an emoji that was declined within the last four years. If yours was returned for changes instead, you have 60 days to send it back before it is marked Expired.
How long until a new emoji is on my phone?
Usually about six months after Unicode approves it, and approval comes a year or more after the proposal. Apple's last 5 emoji updates landed 175 to 202 days after each Unicode release; Windows took 352 days for Emoji 17.0.