From New emojis to Music App upgrades: What all to expect from iOS 18 ahead of Apple's WWDC 2024

Apple is reportedly gearing up to introduce a new batch of emojis for its devices, including iPhone, iPad, and Mac, in the near future. This update will align with the upcoming release of Unicode 16, which is currently in its beta review phase until July 2. 

As per a report from Macrumors, after the beta period concludes, the Unicode Consortium will officially approve the new characters, paving the way for their integration into various digital platforms.

Reportedly, the upcoming Unicode 16 emoji set includes a variety of distinctive designs, such as a face with under-eye bags, a fingerprint, a barren tree, a root vegetable, a harp, a shovel, and a splatter.

Following approval, companies like Apple typically spend several months developing the artwork for these new characters. As such, these emoji are expected to be introduced in Apple’s ecosystem sometime after the release of iOS 18, likely around March 2025, coinciding with the anticipated iOS 18.4 update.

Apple's last major emoji update occurred with iOS 17.4, released in March 2024, which included additions such as a lime, an edible brown mushroom, a phoenix, a broken chain, a vertical nod for "yes," and a horizontal shake for "no."

In addition to the new emoji, Apple is also planning enhancements to its Apple Music app with the release of iOS 18 and macOS 15. According to AppleInsider, a new "smart song transitions" feature will be introduced, allowing users to adjust the crossfade duration between songs from 1 to 12 seconds. This feature aims to improve upon the existing crossfade option by seamlessly blending the end of one song with the beginning of the next.

Furthermore, AppleInsider reports that Apple is developing a feature called "Passthrough" for Apple Music and QuickTime Player, though details remain scarce. It is speculated that this feature may be linked to Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos. Additionally, Apple is rumored to be working on a "Spatial Gaming" feature, although specifics are not yet available.

Apple is expected to unveil iOS 18 at the Worldwide Developers Conference, which will commence on Monday, June 10.