Ethnically diverse emojis are finally here, courtesy of the new iOS 8.3 software update released on Wednesday.

Racially Diverse Emojis Feature Different Skin Tones

Apple and the limited emojis available on the iPhone have been increasingly under attack for a failure to create racially diverse emojis – who were, for the most part, all white. The only so-called ‘ethnic’ emojis available prior to the upgrade were a dark-skinned man wearing a turban and an Asian-looking male wearing some kind of cap.

The new emojis feature options to turn every cartoon person into a different skin tone – there are six variations to choose from. While far from perfect, the diverse emojis are a step in the right direction and have been embraced by users on Twitter.

The upgrade has not only provided users with more ethnically diverse emojis, it also increased the apps’ range of international flags and family structures. For example, the family emoji, which previously only featured one man, one woman and one child (all Caucasian in appearance), now comes in many different options, including gay couples with children and couples with two children.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.