Windows 11 rolls out new emojis — but one flag won’t show up

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– Freshly, Windows 11 has expanded its collection of emojis, but their usage might be restricted in certain areas.
– As reported by Emojipedia and observed by Windows Latest, the latest version of Emoji 16.0 is being implemented into Windows 11.
– This update brings seven brand new emojis to the Windows 11 operating system.

The Emoji version 16.0 was initially approved in September 2024, but it seems it took some time before it became available for Windows 11. It looks like the support for these new emojis was included in the update that came on Patch Tuesday of September 2025, although there’s a possibility they were sent to computers earlier.

In certain areas of Windows 11, the recently introduced emojis are currently visible. However, pasting these new emojis into Microsoft Word is functioning as expected, while inserting them into Microsoft Edge displays a black rectangle symbolizing an unsupported character.

The latest Emoji version 16.0 introduces eight new emojis, however, one of these isn’t compatible with Windows 11. Historically, Microsoft has neglected to support geographic flag emojis, so it’s not expected that the flag of Sark will be featured on Windows 11.

You can, however, see the flag of Sark if you paste it into WhatsApp on your PC.

For those not already aware, Sark is an island situated in the southwestern English Channel, near the coast of Normandy, and it belongs to the Channel Islands archipelago. As an added tidbit, for anyone who wants to know more, Sark fits this description!

Here are the eight emojis included with Emoji 16.0 (note that they may not render on your browser):

  • 🫩 Face with Bags Under Eyes
  • 🫆 Fingerprint
  • 🪾 Leafless Tree
  • 🫜 Root Vegetable
  • 🪉 Harp
  • 🪏 Shovel
  • 🫟 Splatter
  • 🇨🇶 Flag for Sark

You can see all of those emojis at Emojipedia or copy and paste the above list into WhatsApp.

The new emojis do not appear in the Emoji Panel on Windows 11 at this time.

When will Emoji 17 be supported on Windows 11?

This week, it was announced by Unicode that seven new emojis will be introduced in the year 2026. The list of these new additions includes a Distorted Face, Fight Cloud, Orca, Hairy Creature, Trombone, Landslide, and Treasure Chest.

It typically takes some time for Microsoft to incorporate newly released emojis. It’s expected that we may not be able to use the emojis from the Emoji 17.0 set until around 2026.

No matter what time Emoji 17.0 is released for Windows devices, it seems PC users won’t have the opportunity to utilize the updated set to tease Apple, as the Apple Core emoji, initially part of the new release, was taken out at the last moment.

The blog post from Emojipedia states that it’s been quite some time since there was a change in the list of emojis during the transition from the preliminary stage to the official release.

When Unicode shared the preview of Emoji 17.0 in November of 2024, it included an Apple Core emoji.

Surprisingly, both occurred on the same day – Apple’s major announcement about the iPhone Air and the disclosure that the Apple Core emoji would not be included in Emoji Version 17.0.

Emojigate

Microsoft’s history with emojis is surprisingly intricate, marked by an event called “Emojigate.” During this period, Microsoft hinted at introducing 3D emojis in Windows 11. However, a staff member later admitted using the incorrect graphic, leading to confusion. Furthermore, various blog posts and social media updates from Microsoft seemed to contradict each other regarding the emoji issue.

Frankly speaking, it seems that whether emojis are two-dimensional or three-dimensional doesn’t have a significant impact. However, I find the discourse surrounding this topic at Microsoft, past and present, to be less than satisfactory.

I said during the height of Emojigate:

The main focus of this situation isn’t on emojis for me. It’s likely that some people are frustrated about the inclusion of 3D or 2D emojis in Windows 11, but the Emojigate incident points to a bigger issue within Microsoft’s design process. If Microsoft can’t clearly communicate its plans regarding emojis, how can we anticipate the company to consistently implement a cohesive design strategy across Windows 11? And if they struggle with designing and implementing emojis, how can we expect them to achieve consistency in the overall design of Windows 11, which is considerably more intricate?

As a researcher delving into the digital realm, I must say that the arrival of 3D emojis in Windows 11 was indeed a delightful addition to the platform. These visually appealing characters certainly add a touch of depth and realism to our digital conversations. However, it’s important to clarify that Emojigate wasn’t primarily about these new emojis. Emojigate refers to a broader discussion surrounding the evolution and diversity of emojis, encompassing various aspects such as inclusivity, representation, and cultural sensitivity, which are all significant components in shaping our digital communication landscape.

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2025-09-10 23:10