As an iOS developer, you’re always looking for ways to make your app stand out from the rest. One way to do this is by incorporating the latest emojis into your app’s design. With iOS 17, there are some exciting new emojis that you can use to add a fresh and modern touch to your app.
Introducing the New Emojis in iOS 16.5
Before diving into the new emojis in iOS 17, let’s take a quick look at some of the most popular and widely used emojis from iOS 16.5. These emojis were added to iOS 16.5 in a mid-year update and include:
- 🕰️♀️/🕰️♂️: These two new emojis represent different times of the day, with the female representing evening and the male representing morning.
- 🌙/🌃: These two new emojis represent different phases of the moon. The first one represents a crescent moon and the second one represents a quarter moon.
- 📚📖: These two new emojis represent books, with the first one representing an open book and the second one representing a closed book.
These new emojis were added to provide developers with more options for expressing different times of the day and phases of the moon, as well as more versatile representations of books.
New Emojis in iOS 17
Now that we have looked at some of the popular emojis from iOS 16.5, let’s take a look at the new emojis that were added to iOS 17. There are a total of 83 new emojis in iOS 17, and they cover a wide range of topics and categories. Here are some of the most noteworthy new emojis:
🌎/🌏: Earth Day Emojis
To celebrate Earth Day, Apple added two new emojis that represent the Earth. The first one represents a blue marble, which is an iconic representation of our planet. The second one represents a green Earth, which is a nod to the importance of environmental conservation. These emojis can be used to promote sustainability and raise awareness about the impact humans have on the environment.
🏃♂️/🏃♀️: Running Emojis
Apple added two new running emojis that represent different speeds. The first one represents a person sprinting, while the second one represents a person jogging at a moderate pace. These emojis can be used to convey different levels of activity and excitement in your app’s design.
📸/📷: Camera Emojis
Apple added two new camera emojis that represent different types of cameras. The first one represents a digital camera, while the second one represents an analog camera. These emojis can be used to promote photography and encourage users to take photos using your app.
🎨/🎭: Arts Emojis
Apple added two new arts emojis that represent different types of art. The first one represents a painter’s palette, while the second one represents a stage. These emojis can be used to promote creativity and encourage users to explore their artistic side using your app.
🧠/🧜: Brain Emojis
Apple added two new brain emojis that represent different types of brains. The first one represents a human brain, while the second one represents an animal brain. These emojis can be used to promote cognitive science and encourage users to explore the mysteries of the mind using your app.
🍔/🍕: Food Emojis
Apple added two new food emojis that represent different types of burgers. The first one represents a beef burger, while the second one represents a chicken burger. These emojis can be used to promote fast food and encourage users to indulge in a delicious meal using your app.
🌨️/🌧️: Weather Emojis
Apple added two new weather emojis that represent different types of snow. The first one represents light snow, while the second one represents heavy snow. These emojis can be used to promote winter activities and encourage users to embrace the cold using your app.
🎮/🎼: Games Emojis
Apple added two new games emojis that represent different types of games. The first one represents a video game controller, while the second one represents a musical note. These emojis can be used to promote gaming and encourage users to explore different genres of music using your app.
Using Emojis in Your App’s Design
Now that we have looked at some of the new emojis in iOS 17, let’s discuss how you can use them in your app’s design. Here are some tips and best practices for incorporating emojis into your app:
- Keep it Simple
- Use Emojis to Convey Meaning
- Use Emojis to Create Visual Interest
- Test Your Emojis
Case Study: Using Emojis in a Fitness App
Let’s take a look at an example of how emojis can be used in a fitness app to enhance the user experience. In this case, we will use the running emojis that were introduced in iOS 17.
Suppose you are designing a fitness app that helps users track their progress and stay motivated. You decide to incorporate the running emojis into your app’s design to promote physical activity and encourage users to run more often. You use the sprinting emoji to represent a challenging run and the jogging emoji to represent a moderate pace run. You also use these emojis in conjunction with other elements of your app’s design, such as progress bars and achievement badges, to reinforce the message that running is an important part of staying fit and healthy.
You test your app with real users and gather feedback on how well the running emojis are received. Based on this feedback, you make adjustments to your app’s design to ensure that the emojis are easy to understand and add value to the user experience.
Conclusion
Emojis can be a powerful tool for enhancing the user experience in your app’s design. By using them thoughtfully and creatively, you can create an engaging and personalized experience that resonates with your users and helps them achieve their goals. With the new emojis introduced in iOS 17, there are even more opportunities to add personality and emotion to your app’s design and take it to the next level.