Unicode Consortium Opens Alpha Review for Version 18.0
The Unicode Consortium has opened the alpha review period for Unicode 18.0. The process allows software engineers and product developers to provide early feedback on the next iteration of the global character encoding standard.
- The planned repertoire for Unicode 18.0 includes 13,048 new characters, which would increase the total number of characters to 172,849. A significant portion of this addition is the Small Seal script, an important precursor to modern Han ideographs, which contains 11,328 characters. - The alpha review period, which ends on March 31, 2026, is the primary opportunity for developers to provide feedback on the proposed character repertoire, names, and code points. After this phase, a beta review is scheduled for May 2026, during which the character set will be locked down for the final release. - The final release of Unicode 18.0 is tentatively scheduled for September 15, 2026. During the alpha and beta phases, the Unicode Consortium provides early access to updated data files, including the Unicode Character Database (UCD), so implementers can test their programs. - Among the proposed additions are nine new emoji characters. Draft candidates for this release include a squinting face, a pickle, a lighthouse, and a monarch butterfly. However, proposed emojis can be removed before the final release, as happened with the "Apple Core" emoji initially slated for version 17.0. - Anyone can submit a proposal for a new emoji, but it undergoes a rigorous review process by the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee. Proposals must provide evidence for high potential usage and global relevance, while concepts based on fads, specific people, or logos are generally declined. - Beyond emojis, version 18.0 is slated to add four new scripts: Small Seal, Chisoi (a modern script from eastern India), Jurchen (a historic script from northeastern China), and numeric signs for Proto-cuneiform. - The Unicode Technical Committee (UTC), which holds the final vote on new characters, is composed of representatives from major tech companies. After the UTC approves a new emoji, it can take 6-12 months or longer for vendors like Apple and Google to design their own versions and release them in software updates. - For comparison, the previous version, Unicode 17.0, added 4,803 new characters, including four new scripts and eight new emojis, bringing the total number of encoded characters to 159,801.
