Unicode 18.0 is expected to add more than 13,000 new characters. The update will include new scripts, emoji, currency symbols, and other characters. But don’t expect hundreds of new emoji, arrows, or decorative signs: about 90% of the release is dedicated to historical writing systems.
New Unicode Characters in 2026
In total, Unicode 18.0 is planned to add 13,047 new characters. Most of them come from four new scripts: Seal, Chisoi, Jurchen, and Proto-Cuneiform. The largest block is Seal, with 11,328 characters. Not exactly the flashiest update for most users, but linguists are probably the ones who will appreciate it.
The Unicode Consortium has not forgotten people who mostly need characters for chats and social media, though. Unicode 18.0 will include 9 new emoji:
Cracking Face
,
Leftwards Thumb Sign
,
Rightwards Thumb Sign
,
Monarch Butterfly
,
Pickle
,
Lighthouse
,
Meteor
,
Eraser
и
Net with Handle
. We have already covered them in detail in a separate article.
The new version of the standard is also expected to add 3 new currency symbols: the Maldivian rufiyaa, the UAE dirham, and the Omani rial. Currency signs are added to Unicode when a currency receives its own official symbol. This time, the symbols come from the Maldives, the UAE, and Oman.
In addition, Unicode 18.0 will include 72 historical mathematical symbols, 73 musical symbols and 323 Cuneiform numeric signs.
Which Scripts Will Be Added in Unicode 18.0
- Seal
Seal is the clear heavyweight among the new scripts in this version. It will bring 11,328 characters. It is a historical form of Chinese writing and one of the ancestors of modern Chinese characters. These signs appear in ancient texts and inscriptions.
So yes, soon you’ll be able to take an ancient manuscript and type it into a plain text file. Assuming, of course, that you know ancient Chinese. ий.
- Chisoi
Chisoi is much smaller than Seal, bringing only 40 characters. It is a modern script from eastern India, used for the Kurmali language. Soon, people will be able to chat in Kurmali and even discuss epic Indian movies.
New characters in the Chisoi script - Jurchen
Unicode 18.0 is expected to add 914 Jurchen characters. Jurchen is a historical ideographic script that was used in northeastern China during the Jin and Ming dynasties.
It is not an alphabet like Latin or Cyrillic. It is a system of complex signs, closer to ideographic writing. With Unicode support, texts written in or related to this script can be stored, studied, and displayed more accurately in digital form, without relying on images or special workarounds.
- Proto-cuneiform
Unicode 18.0 includes 323 Proto-Cuneiform characters. Only the numeric part of the script comes in this version. The remaining characters are expected to be added in future versions of the standard.
Proto-Cuneiform is one of the earliest known writing systems. It was used in Mesopotamia around the end of the fourth millennium BCE. Five thousand years ago, people pressed these signs into clay tablets. Now they are coming to Unicode. That is progress in its purest form.
New Currency Symbols
Unicode is expected to add three new currency symbols:
- Maldivian rufiyaa
- UAE dirham
- Omani rial
Currency symbols have their own path into Unicode. First, a country approves an official sign for its currency. Then the symbol is proposed for encoding in the standard. That is how it stops being an image from a central bank press release and becomes a regular text character.
Over the past year, several countries announced new currency symbols. The Saudi riyal made it into Unicode 17.0, while the rufiyaa, dirham, and Omani rial are expected to arrive in Unicode 18.0. After the release, they will still need support in fonts and operating systems, otherwise users may see an empty square instead of a shiny new currency sign.
When Will Unicode 18.0 Be Released?
The new version of Unicode has already passed alpha review, where the content of the future release was checked: new characters, names, code points, and other details.
Beta review began on May 26 and will run until July 7, 2026. At this stage, the character set is nearly fixed, but technical details may still be refined, including the data that affects how Unicode works in fonts, operating systems, apps, and databases.
The final release of Unicode 18.0 is planned for September 15, 2026. If everything goes according to schedule, Unicode will grow by 13,047 characters this fall. And we will get an update where ancient scripts, currency signs, mathematical characters, and a pickle emoji all somehow belong together.
