Apple continues focus on inclusivity with 300 new, diverse emoji in iOS 8.3 and OS X 10.10.3

The iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite beta 2 updates are part of Apple's ongoing efforts to address diversity, and it's extending beyond organization and into software, with a much wider array of cultures and ethnicities for face and hand symbols.

Emoji have become popular because they're efficient, sometimes amusing, but mostly humanizing. They allow for the inclusion of emotion and feeling beyond what plain text can transmit. It's for that very reason that emoji need to be inclusive — so that people everywhere can see themselves reflected in their use.

The way it works is like this: The iOS 8.3 or Yosemite keyboards starts off with a "neutral" (i.e. classic yellow) emoji. Tap/click and hold and you get five alternate skin tone options. These are based on the Fitzpatrick scale for standard dermatological representation, as adopted by the Unicode Consortium.

In addition to the flags and skin tones, there's also greater gender diversity for families, new electronics, and more. No word yet on some of the more controversial elements of the new Unicode standard.

iOS 8.3 and OS X 10.10.3 are still in beta, so it's possible that the exact number, style, color, and character of the new emoji will change between this beta and its release — expected some time this spring.

It's great to see Apple using its popularity and power to push for more and better inclusivity. Hopefully it's just the beginning, and for all platforms.

3:30pm: Updated with implementation details and OS X 10.10.3 integration.

Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.