Have you ever wondered why there is an emoji for a taco, a boba tea, and a flaming heart, but no emoji for a stethoscope or a specific regional dish? The addition of new emojis isn't decided on a whim by Apple or Google—it is governed by a rigorous global standardization process overseen by the Unicode Consortium.

Anyone in the world can submit a proposal for a new emoji. However, fewer than 10% of submitted proposals ever make it onto your smartphone keyboard. This article walks you through the step-by-step lifecycle of a new emoji proposal.

Step 1: Drafting the Formal Proposal

To propose an emoji, applicants must submit a formal document (often 10 to 20 pages long) meeting exact Unicode guidelines. The document must prove:

  • Expected High Search Volume: Google Trends data and search statistics demonstrating that millions of people search for the concept.
  • Multiple Usages / Metaphorical Meaning: The proposed icon cannot just mean one literal object; it must carry symbolic, metaphorical, or cultural versatility.
  • Visual Distinctiveness: The design must render legibly on tiny 18x18 pixel screens.
  • Completeness: It fills a missing gap in existing Unicode categories.

Step 2: Unicode Emoji Subcommittee (ESC) Review

Submissions are reviewed by the Emoji Subcommittee (ESC), a team of linguists, typographers, accessibility experts, and technology representatives from major companies (Apple, Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Meta).

The ESC filters out invalid requests, including:

  • Logos, Brands, or Trademarks: No corporate logos (e.g. Nike swoosh or Coca-Cola bottle).
  • Specific People or Deities: No individual real people, living or historical figures.
  • Transient Fads: Memes or short-lived pop culture references that will be forgotten in a year.

Step 3: Provisional Candidate Selection & Technical Coding

If a proposal passes subcommittee scrutiny, it receives Provisional Candidate status. At this stage, Unicode engineers assign the concept a permanent hexadecimal codepoint (for example U+1F9C3) and draft its official English metadata name and CLDR search keywords.

Step 4: Full Technical Approval & Vendor Rollout

Once the full Unicode Technical Committee approves the annual Unicode release (e.g., Unicode 16.0), the specification is published. At this point, technology vendors (Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, WhatsApp) receive the master specification.

Phase Timeline Key Action
Submission Window April – July Public submits formal PDF proposals to Unicode
Subcommittee Review August – October ESC evaluates proposals against selection factors
Codepoint Assignment January – March Unicode Consortium assigns hex U+ code points
Vendor Artwork & OS Release September – November Apple iOS, Android & Windows ship custom font artwork
"From proposal submission to seeing a new emoji on your smartphone keyboard typically takes 18 to 24 months."

Summary: Want to Propose Your Own Emoji?

If you have an idea for a new emoji, review the official Unicode submission guidelines, gather Google search analytics, design a sample vector glyph, and submit your proposal during the annual open window!

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Reviewed by Alex Rivera — Founder & Lead Editor
Expertise: Unicode Consortium process. Every guide is fact-checked against Unicode CLDR data and tested on iOS, Android, Windows & macOS. Last updated: August 2, 2026. Originally published: July 22, 2026.
Questions or corrections? Contact the team or email hello@useemoji.fun — we respond within 24–48h and publish fixes within 5 business days. See our Editorial Policy.

UseEmoji.fun is independent and not affiliated with Unicode, Inc. Emoji artwork varies by platform vendor. We display the Unicode character your device renders natively.