Rumors have long circulated that the emoji Powers Who Be would introduce new characters in the near future, and we're finally edging closer to the final lineup.
There's good news: It looks like we're getting tacos. (Fingers crossed.)
The Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization the governs the Unicode Standard, has accepted 37 new emoji characters as candidates for an update, which is scheduled to launch in mid-2015.
Although the Unicode Consortium only included a picture of a taco emoji in the announcement, it highlighted the rest of the candidates as well, which would be compatible with other messaging and mail platforms. Let's take a look:
Faces, hands, and zodiac symbols
Zipper-mouth face
Money-mouth face
Face with thermometer
Nerd face
Thinking face
Face with rolling eyes
Upside-down face
Face with head-bandage
Robot face
Hugging face
Sign of the horns
Crab
Scorpion
Lion face
Bow and arrow
Amphora
Symbols of religious significance
Prayer beads
Kaaba
Mosque
Synagogue
Menorah with nine branches
Place of worship
Dhyani Buddha
Most popularly requested emoji
Hot dog
Taco
Burrito
Bottle with popping cork
Popcorn
Turkey
Unicorn face
Cheese wedge
Missing top sports symbols
Cricket bat and ball
Volleyball
Field hockey stick and ball
Ice hockey stick and puck
Table tennis paddle and ball
Badminton racquet and birdie
There's no guarantee these emoji will make the final cut onto mobile keyboards, but it's a fun preview. Taco Bell might be most excited about the prospect of a taco emoji coming soon -- the company started a Change.org petition stressing "THE TACO EMOJI NEEDS TO HAPPEN."
The report states that there are "many possible emoji that could be added, but releases need to be restricted to a manageable number. [...] Many other emoji characters, such as other food items and symbols of religious significance, are still being assessed, and could appear in a future release of the Unicode Standard."
If you have other ideas for your dream emoji, the Unicode Consortium is taking your feedback.
Which other emoji are missing? Let us know in the comments.
BONUS: 5 Emoji Meanings That Might Surprise You