I really wanted these viral pop star emojis to arrive with iOS 18.5, but it was never going to happen – here’s why

• A viral post that claimed Apple was bringing pop star emojis to iOS 18.5 has officially been labeled as false
• The parody account on X, Drop Pop, started the rumor when it posted a very convincing image of celebrity emojis that included Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and more
• It managed to convince users online that it was a legitimate update, garnering millions of views across different social media platforms

iOS 18.4 has only just dropped, and users are still basking in the features that are new to Apple’s quietly big iPhone upgrade - which includes eight brand-new emojis. But users are already looking ahead to iOS 18.5, and after much speculation about Apple’s next wave of emojis, I’m sorry to say that no, pop star emojis won’t be coming to your iPhone.

A post on social media showing mock-ups of celebrity emojis went viral, convincing people online that they would arrive in the next iPhone update. It spread like wildfire across different platforms, and after raising the hopes of pop fans everywhere, it turns out it was a lie all along.

The claim: Apple is bringing pop star emojis to its next iOS 18.5 update

It all started in the same way most unhinged online moments do - with one image from an account run by a pop-obsessed individual.

If you’re not chronically online like myself, you may have missed the image that made it seem as if Apple were gearing up to introduce emojis of the biggest female artists, including Ariana Grande, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and more. It was first shared on X by the pop culture account Drop Pop and garnered mass attention across social media.

Since it was posted, the celebrity emojis have received a total of 41.7 million views on X as well as accumulating 110k likes and 3.6k replies. Despite Apple not having made any kind of announcement, the account did a really good job at portraying it as realistically as possible, going the full length and including the Apple logo.

The post managed to persuade millions that this was a legitimate update from Apple, sparking many humorous responses and reactions from online creators, and even almost two weeks after it was shared, it’s still making rounds. As unique and humorous it would be if Apple ever did such a thing, the post is completely false - here’s why.

@kdotfan727

lana del rey, beyonce, ?, ?, nicki, gaga, taylor, (ari?