Buried among the new features in the release of iOS 8.3 and OS X 10.10.3 was a big change to Apple’s emoji library. Chief among these changes was the ability to select skin tones for appropriate emoji.
For example, here’s what you see when you tap the thumbs up emoji:
A secondary popup appears that lets you select a skin color. This works on both your iOS device and your Mac. Having the same emoji set be the same on all Apple devices is another step forward.
One final note: The emoji mechanism is still divided into pages, but now rather than make you tap on each page to try to find your emoji, the entire set is one solid, rapidly scrolling page. This is a big improvement.
How do the emoji’s look on devices not running 8.3 or iOS for that matter?
It shows up as the default emoji for that look with a square box next to it, if I recall correctly.
Once again I can delete an app because Apple added the feature to iOS. I was using the Emoji++ keyboard to get continuous scrolling emoji. As usual, Apple’s implementation is better.
Rosa Parks and MLK Jr would be proud…such a huge step forward.
I still think it’s a mistake to keep the “yellow skinned” emojis. I know they are supposed to relate to the original yellow emojis which aren’t supposed to be racist etc. but they still kind of are.
You can’t have emojis for five different realistic skin types beside another set of “yellow skinned people” especially when there is no asian skin tone among the realistic ones. Putting a tiny line between them does nothing.
Sooner or later, the “yellow skinned people” emojis have to be retired as the undoubtedly offensive things they are. They may not be intended as racist, but they will definitely be seen that way by a lot of people.
what people? are there articles now where people have stated the static yellows are offensive?
i think they should be eliminated too, but because they are unnecessary now.
I think they should pick a default unrealistic color that doesn’t have any unfortunate stereotypical connotations, but what would that be? Purple, green?
All these yellow emojis came from the classic yellow smiley face icon, and the more detail they added to that original, harmless symbol, the weirder it got.
wait, I’ve got it: keep them yellow, but make them all Lego people!
Lego emoji keyboard FTW!
IMHO: Use your words.
(I hate emojis)
I make a special exception for the smiling pile of poop, but I agree in principle.