Facebook Messenger finally gets new diverse emojis

Facebook just added a whole new bunch of diverse emojis for Messenger. With over 1,500 new emojis, Messenger now includes a female police officer, runner, pedestrian, surfer and swimmer. And guess what, the new set of emojis are standardized. This means they will look the same for all users, whether on Android, iOS or any other platform. Facebook says the company is diversifying the genders to create a more balanced mix, and thus the new female emojis. The emojis will be consistent on all platforms .

Messenger users can now choose from various skin tones; and Facebook has emojis representing red heads for the first time. “In an effort to make the emojis you send a better representation of our world, you will also be able to pick the skin colour you prefer,” Facebook said in a post on Messenger page.

Facebook Messenger users will have to press and hold the face or hand emojis to choose the skin colour. The emoji will then show a pop up in different skin tones ranging from white to brown and black. Users can then choose the colour of their choice to start using the emoji. “All you have to do is set the color you want your default emojis to be when Messenger launches, and your emojis after that will follow your preference.” Facebook explains switching between the text keyboard and emoji keyboard is now easier. “On all platforms, the Messenger composer will now include an emoji picker to help you select the perfect emoji. Tap the new emoji icon at the left of the composer to find just the right emoji.” The emojis have already been rolled out for users across Android and iOS globally.