Is Apple launching 8 new emojis of female celebrity artists? Viral tweet depicting Lady Gaga and Beyoncé emojis debunked
A rumor circulated online recently that Apple is launching eight new emojis of female celebrities from the music industry. It was shared by Drop Pop (@DropPopNet) on the social networking site X on April 3, 2025.
“Apple teases new emojis of female artists for the upcoming iOS 18.5 update,” the post was captioned.
It was accompanied by an image of the company's logo alongside the emojis of A-list artists, including Lana Del Ray, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande.
However, the now-viral tweet that amassed over 4.9 million views, has turned out to be fake and was seemingly meant for the purpose of virality and sensationalism. Not only that but the Drop Pop account on X is known for its parodical content as mentioned in its “About” section as well.
“A parody/ satirical pop culture news outlet, solely and only meant for entertainment purposes. Nothing on this account represents factual news. DM for removal, inquiries, etc…” the description read.
Meanwhile, Apple has indeed launched eight new emojis. However, none of them feature any celebrity.
All you need to know about Apple’s new emojis
On March 31, 2025, Apple introduced eight new emojis for its iPhone users that will now be available for the iOS 18.4 version and above. Apple Hub account on the social media platform X first shared the update, asking customers which one was their "favorite."
The emojis include a tired face, a blue fingerprint, a purple splat, a radish/ turnip, a bare tree trunk with branches spreading out, a harp, a shovel, and the flag of Sark, a self-governing island in the English Channel.
The exhausted face emoji, with dark under-eye bags and a downcast expression, has quickly gained popularity for being relatable. According to the New York Post, searching "bags" in the emoji section will find it. Users call it “accurate” and predict it could become “the most used emoji of the year,” per the Daily Mail.
Users are also celebrating the introduction of the harp emoji as it resembles the instruments on Guinness cans. Meanwhile, others are debating on the launch of the purple splat and Sark flag emojis. Notably, the Unicode Consortium’s flag policy has prevented new emojis for flags since 2022.
The brand’s plan to launch eight new emojis was first announced in September 2024. Users can now access them by automatically updating their devices or through their settings. In the past, the tech giant has launched emojis such as a plain bagel with cream cheese and a pregnant man as part of their iOS updates.
According to the New York Post, iOS users can already create their own emojis using the Genmoji feature that uses generative AI. However, the company has been warning customers not to create NSFW emojis as they run the risk of being "censored."
The New York Post reported that the Unicode Consortium is working on new emojis, including a “fight cloud,” orca whale, apple core, and Sasquatch, expected later this year. The iOS 18.4 update will also expand Apple Intelligence to more languages and regions.