Apple reveals fun new Emoji and Memoji updates, including a 'Bridgerton' one

Apple has revealed plans to release 217 new emojis with its upcoming iOS 14.5 update later this month.

The new operating system will enable users to pick from a wider selection of inclusive emojis to better express how they are feeling in text messages.

Forget sending your other half the love heart emoji as you will soon be able to pick from a flaming heart emoji - enabling fans awaiting Netflix news on Bridgerton season two to tell their loved ones over text that 'I burn for you' after actor Regé-Jean Page melted hearts everywhere with that one-liner.

Other new designs include a mended heart, a person with a beard (both short and long hair options), as well as new skin tone variants for the kissing couple emoji and couple with heart emojis.

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Emojipedia wrote in a recent blogpost, 'Most emojis these days provide an option for a gender-inclusive default, or a specific gender can be chosen to show an emoji as a woman or man. Consistent gender options are available for the bearded person in iOS 14.5, with choices for woman or man added in the latest beta.'

And Emojipedia lists all 217 new emoji for version 13.1 on its website, complete with how the variations will look on Android, Google's operating system, whilst tweeting some of the new icons on its Twitter to give users a taste of what's to come.

And fans can't get enough of the new styles. One fan wrote, 'Pretty crazy that apple is releasing these new emojis just for me.' Another suggested another update in the near future, it read, 'Still waiting for to make their dog/cat emojis change colors like the people emojis. #doit @Apple.'

Plus some of the existing emojis have had a re-design to include extra safety features - the climbing emoji will now feature helmets to put across the safety-first message. And there will be an update to the syringe where the blood is removed and the headphones emoji now displays as AirPods Max.

Meanwhile, if you're a fan of the customizable Memojis, then you'll be happy to learn that they can now give virtual hugs, blush, and fist bump. And as part of the latest update, as all of us learned how to wear a face mask in 2020 it was also added to Memoji's accessory to reflect being in the middle of a world health pandemic.

Apple currently offers two face coverings options – a medical and a fabric face mask – that can be customized to feature any color of your liking.

Further work is being carried out to make emojis more easily searchable on your phone or iPad to reduce the amount of time spent scrolling through all the tiny images, leaving more time for those important Zoom calls.