Google is beta testing a new emoji shortcut bar for Android
It also unveiled some of the 117 new emoji coming to Android 11.
Friday July 17th is World Emoji Day. Yes, that is really a thing. Guffaws aside, we do have some interesting emoji-related news to share. Google’s Gboard is getting a new quick-access emoji bar. Right now it’s in beta, but it’ll be rolling out to all Android users soon. The new feature will let you quickly tack on ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ to try and make up for ruining a persons day. Or drop a 🍻 when it’s time for another Zoom happy hour, without having to open a separate emoji keyboard. Sure, it might sound minor, but considering just how reliant we’ve become on picture-based communication, any shortcut is a huge help.
Additionally Google is adding 117 new emoji to Android 11 this fall. Some are effort to improve the inclusiveness of your emoji options, like man in veil, woman in tuxedo, and person bottle feeding baby. Some are just plain fun, like the tamales (😋), piñata and anatomically correct heart. Some have been redesigned to play well with dark mode, like the skunk. And some... some are a return to beloved designs of the past that were changed by a person with very poor judgement. A big welcome back to 2013 frog and turtle!
