![Hidden iOS 5 Feature Offers Tons of Beautiful Emoticons [PICS]](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/archives/03DmXsYhe4ftObIDHjJp69T/hero-image.fill.size_1248x702.v1647020472.jpg)
Popular in Asia and likely added to enhance the iPhone and iPad's global appeal, emoji icons are accessible via the "general" menu in your iOS 5 settings, under "keyboard." There you can see a prompt for "international keyboards" and then "emoji."
Adding emoji greatly expands your texting options. There are hundreds of illustrated icons that depict everything from watermelons to bikinis to frogs to skyscrapers. Instead of texting something like "my plane just landed," you can just send a plane emoji. Instead of "Let's meet for a burger," you can just show a picture of a burger.
In Japan, where the pictographs orginated, emoji have evolved to present a palette of options relevant to that culture including a bowing businessman and sushi. Until now, though, they have been confined mostly to that country. Yet the trend may go international fast. Realizing this, Apple and Google got behind a program to standardize emoji in 2009. There are now 722 symbols recognized under that standard. You can check out some of them in the gallery below.
What do you think of emoji? Will you use them? Did you already? Let us know in the comments.