Android 11's new emoji include a real heart, a piñata, and a polar bear

Android 11 will be loaded with new features when it’s ready this fall, but let’s be honest: the highlight might just be the fresh set of emoji that will come to your messaging apps. Google has revealed that over 100 emoji designs will be available in the next version of Android, including brand new examples as well as reworks of familiar characters.

The new batch of emoji focuses on empathy, equity, and cultures around the world. You’ll find a man in a veil, a woman in a tuxedo, and generic expressions like people hugging or a person feeding a baby. The cultural emoji range from boba tea and a tamale to a long drum and a piñata.

Some of the additions are simply whimsical. There’s a real heart (if the symbolic one isn’t “raw” enough). And of course, there are new animals, with a distinctly Canadian bent — you’ll find a beaver, a bison, and a polar bear.

Existing emoji have received an overhaul as well. The king has received a makeover, as has the rabbit, sheep, and tortoise. Other emoji should look better when you’re using dark mode, too. Just don’t expect blobs to come back.

You won’t have to wait until Android 11’s arrival to make better use of emoji, either. Google has updated the Gboard beta with a quick access emoji bar that will save you some of the trouble of finding an icon to express yourself. The feature will reach the standard Android app sometime in the “coming months” if you’re unwilling to try a pre-release version.

Next: I love that new emoji are coming, but I just want the blobs back