Apple Features A ‘Period’ Emoji And Gender-Neutral Characters In Its latest iOS Update

In the latest revamp to its iOS Apple has released new Emojis featuring gender-neutral characters and people with disabilities.

The software also has a new feature that allows users to select the ethnicity of each character in the ‘holding hands’ emoji, while a drop of blood designed to represent menstruation has been introduced following increased calls to fight against period stigma.

The new designs are part of more than 350 emoji approved earlier this year and have now been made available to users through the iOS 13.2 update.

Users will be able to select the ethnicity of each character in the ‘holding hands’ emoji

In a bid to be as inclusive as possible Many of the character-based emoji now also include a gender-neutral option alongside a male or female version

Icons showing hearing aids, wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, and guide dogs  are among the latest inclusion into the set of emoji from the Unicode Consortium, the body tasked with maintaining and regulating the characters

The new designs are part of more than 350 emoji approved earlier this year

‘But this is only one part of the solution.

‘We know that girls around the world are being held back because of their periods, whether that’s the one in five girls here in the UK who are bullied and teased, girls in Zimbabwe who have dropped out of school because the recent cyclone destroyed their period-friendly toilets or those living in refugee camps in Bangladesh who can’t access period products since fleeing their homes.

A range of new emojis with the red blood drop to represent menstruation cycle

In response to the introduction of the icons, Plan International UK’s chief executive Rose Caldwell said: ‘We are thrilled to see the arrival of this long-awaited blood drop emoji, which signals a real breakthrough in the fight against period stigma.

‘Girls, women and other menstruators told us this emoji would help them talk more freely about their periods, which is why we campaigned so hard to make it a reality.

Apple also improved the representation of those with disabilities

‘Period poverty will not stop until we fix the toxic trio of affordability of products, lack of education and period shame. We hope this emoji helps to keep the conversation going.’

Icons showing hearing aids, wheelchairs, and guide dogs are among the latest set of emoji released

The software update merges with the introduction of Apple’s newest photography innovation, The Deep Fusion photography technology, which uses machine learning to take and quickly analyze multiple photos before piecing together the best parts into a single image.

New gender-neutral characters have been added to the new iOS  software update

To access the new emoji, iPhone and iPad users will need to open their settings app and select general and then software update before confirming the installation of iOS 13.2.