The new 2018 emoji set is released today

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From today, the new 2018 emoji set is released with 157 new emojis to choose from. Top in the news is the set of red headed emojis which red heads have apparently be clamouring for for years.

Perhaps my favourite is the ‘Smiling Face With 3 Hearts’ emoji pictured above, mainly because (perhaps due to the lighthearted nature of emojis) someone can’t count.

Lightheartedness is what emojis are all about, but should you use them in business? They are becoming so ingrained in society that they are gradually creeping into business communications and it will largely depend on your contact and relationship with them as to whether they are semi-acceptable or should never be used. Popping a smiley at the end of an email to a colleague within your business is one thing, but using them for external communications should still be considered very warily.

There is also the problem of interpretation, you may use the emoji with tears streaming down it’s cheeks to indicate ROFLMAO, but the recipient may well be excused if they wonder why you’re crying and why you’re sad. Responding with a red faced emoji may to some mean you’re embarrassed but could be misinterpreted by others as indicating that you’re angry.

For some business communications emojis can be legitimately used as short hand. For instance, there’s no need to write a long missive when a thumbs up emoji can convey your meaning in a single character – especially if you’re using a messaging app rather than traditional email.

General rules to keep to are never use more than on emoji per email or message, never use angry emojis and only use them with colleagues you’re on friendly terms with (not your boss!) and only use them with customers who you know well. If your emoji recipient never responds with even the basic smilie, it’s probably a good idea not to carry on using them.

New 2018 emoji set

Emojipedia has documented the new 2018 emoji set released today in video:

When can you use the new 2018 emoji set?

The new emoji set won’t be available to use immediately and even when you can use them don’t assume that your recipient will be able to see them. It’s likely that Twitter, Facebook and Microsoft will be first to implement them into their solutions between now and August, Apple and Android are likely to support them by the end of the year with other vendors such as Samsung unlikely to support the new emoji set until 2019.

3 Responses

  1. I used to like emoji, now they’re out of control.
    157 is too many in total, never mind 157 “new” ones to add to the excessively long list already available.
    that’s what happens when you commercialise something that was supposed to be “a bit of fun”, you get absolute garbage like the emoji movie, and a sub-set of emotions for redheads, because redheads need to express their hair colour with all emotions.

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