Emoji Archives - Mediastreet

I guess we’ve recovered from that problematic ad…

In line with the new iOS 26.4 update, Apple has launched a collection of new emojis, including a familiar (and controversial) face. While the Unicode Consortium officially approved the designs last summer, the new emojis have caused a stir for their unexpected addition, which is giving fans major flashbacks to Apple’s most controversial ad.

From its playful new ads to the Gen Z branding of the new MacBook Neo, it seems Apple is in an exciting new era, finally shedding its stuffy professional skin. The new emoji additions are just another example of how the brand is leaning into its sillier side, even making light of its own past mishaps, much to the delight of fans.

The new iOS 26.4 beta includes the addition of eight new emojis, including a fight cloud, hairy creature (a.k.a bigfoot), landslide, orca, trombone, treasure chest, ballet dancers and the infamous ‘distorted face’. Look familiar? That’s right. He’s the little yellow guy who starred in Apple’s highly controversial ‘Crush’ ad, which appalled audiences so much that the tech titan had to issue an apology.

The addition divided fans, with some seeing the funny side, while others were a little less jovial about it. “Because we needed a memento from that horrible advertisement?” one disgruntled critic wrote on X. “Close enough, welcome back iPad Pro Crush! ad,” another wrote, while one fan predicted, “Distorted Face is about to become the most used emoji overnight.”

Feature image credit: Future owns

By Natalie Fear

Natalie Fear is Creative Bloq’s staff writer. With an eye for trending topics and a passion for internet culture, she brings you the latest in art and design news. Natalie also runs Creative Bloq’s 5 Questions series, spotlighting diverse talent across the creative industries. Outside of work, she loves all things literature and music (although she’s partial to a spot of TikTok brain rot).

Sourced from CREATIVE BLOQ

By Megan Schaltegger

The cherries and upside-down smiley face also caused some confusion.

We all have our own interpretations of the emoji encyclopedia. Maybe the hands are praying. Perhaps it’s a high-five. For most, it’s just as subjective as art, but according to Adobe’s latest study, no icon is more misunderstood than the cowboy.

Adobe’s Future of Creativity trend report found that among Boomers, Gen X’ers, and Millennials, in particular, the cowboy has caused the most confusion. The cherries and upside-down smiley face followed shortly behind.

“Generationally, Boomers (24%), Gen X’ers (18%) and Millennials (14%) are less sure of cowboy hat face than Gen Z’ers (10%),” Adobe said in its report.

Nearly half of US users said they used emojis differently than their intended use, while half of the participants also claimed to have sent an emoji that was ultimately misinterpreted.

Of course, Gen Z—as the cutting-edge cool kids they are—seems to have things down pat. 93% of the generation said they feel up to date on the latest emoji meanings. Now whether they’re actually using them correctly is another story. From that same pool, 74% reported using them differently than the intended meaning. To avoid confusion, we could always just stick to words?

Feature Image Credit: Tada Images/Shutterstock