Android 11's cutest feature: All the new emoji

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Some new faces, and some new looks

(Image credit: Google)

Android 11 is finally here for everyone after Google released a public build for Pixel phones and new beta builds for a variety of handsets. Sure, the latest Android update has plenty of new features, but now we know the real superstar additions: the over 100 new emoji that are entering the fray.

In total, Google is incorporating 117 new emoji taken from Unicode's Emoji 13.0 recommendations. On top of the that, more than 2,000 existing emoji are getting face-lifts, according to Emojipedia. 

Among the new class of cartoony icons are some more inclusive versions of existing emoji, such as multiple genders and races of the Feeding Baby, Person With Veil, and Person in Tuxedo emoji. The transgender flag, transgender symbol, and a new People Hugging emoji have also joined the ranks of Android 11 emoji. 

What's new in Android emojis?

Here's a look at the newest ones, which Emojipedia has helpfully gathered in an exhaustive Twitter thread:

And what would a new emoji set be without more playful (and sometimes inscrutable) gestures? The Pinched Fingers emoji can convey a number of emotions, just as the new Boomerang emoji could signify karma thanks to its illustrated flight path (though sometimes a Boomerang is just a boomerang). 

Some new furry friends also make their debut: we'll be getting a stoic-looking polar bear, a reminder of what a dodo bird looks like, and a house fly that looks way too happy. A black cat, bison, mammoth, beaver, seal, beetle, cockroach, and worm round out the new critters. Of course, existing animal emoji also got an overhaul, with some looking much cuter than they have any business looking – talking about you, adorable scorpion.

There is noticeable aesthetic shift with these new emoji, with reduced outlines on all shapes. While we wouldn't quite call most of these emoji realistic, they do have a slightly more polished look.

If you're eager to get the emoji yourself, here's how to download Android 11 on supported devices.

Mark Knapp
Mark Knapp

Over the last several years, Mark has been tasked as a writer, an editor, and a manager, interacting with published content from all angles. He is intimately familiar with the editorial process from the inception of an article idea, through the iterative process, past publishing, and down the road into performance analysis.