The Yat emoji set
How will new emojis be introduced into the Yat set?
The Yat emoji set will always be very constrained due to the similarity, security, and compatibility challenges associated with the majority of Unicode emojis. That being said, we have been open to periodically adding emojis to the Yat set based on some key parameters:
1. Re-evaluation of emojis. None of this is an exact science, and sometimes we overlook emojis that can actually be in the Yat set.
2. Compatibility shifts. As folks around the world upgrade their devices, new emojis can be added to the Yat set
3. Evolution of Unicode. As Unicode adds new emojis, we will then be able to add some subset of new emojis over time as well. We will never retire emoji from the Yat set as that would mean some Yats would no longer be functional.
Can I get different color variations on my emojis?
No, you can't get a purple gorilla or a blue banana. Those changes in colours aren't supported by Unicode.😭
However, we do have system-level support for different variants of skin tone and colours of the heart. So for example, if you own a Yat with a heart in it (❤️), you automatically own the same Yat with all of the different color variants as well (💙💚💛💜🧡🖤🤎🤍)!
You can get some more details about our emoji selection criteria here, and an in-depth look at how we made our decisions right here.
How does adding new emojis affect the scarcity of the current set?
There are a few ways to look at this.
On a raw numbers basis, it would impact the scarcity. However, it's really creating an entirely new storytelling space.
For example, when the emoji✨was added, it increased the raw number of total combinations. But it also created entirely new storytelling opportunities for Yat Creators. It's a tradeoff. We believe adding emojis periodically is important to create new opportunities for Yat Creators to express themselves.
How would you handle Unicode removing an emoji?
The Yat emoji set is focused on emojis that have core meaning and longevity. Because of this, all of our emojis are important and likely will not be removed.
For example the airplane ✈️ emoji. It portrays a universal idea and thing which cannot be represented by something else. Due to this, it is unlikely to be removed.
Our emoji set is full of emojis just like this. Yat is also a full member of Unicode, up there with Apple and Google, as seen here. This allows us to have influence in emoji selection going forward.
Why is the rainbow flag emoji not supported?
We think the rainbow flag 🏳️🌈 is a very important emoji to support, and it is something we are working on. The issue is that the rainbow flag emoji is a combination of the white flag 🏳️ and the rainbow 🌈 emojis, so there is some complexity to making it available in a Yat.