Apple tweaks syringe emojis to be less graphic amid Covid-19 vaccine rollout

The redesigned syringe is part of Apple’s iOS 14.5 beta, which also features a number of new emoji options, including a heart on fire, a face with swirling eyes, and the ability for women and men to have a beard.

Removing blood from the emoji syringe makes the depiction of the Covid-19 vaccination more appropriate, said Jeremy Burge, the emojis head of Emojipedia, an online emoji dictionary. (He also said that the change did not prevent the emoji from being used to represent blood donation.)

The decision to make emoji less graphic is part of the largest vaccine rollout in U.S. history.

“Remove blood makes this emoji more versatile and might also remove any misconceptions that vaccination involves blood,” Burge told CNN Business. “We don’t know yet if this has a direct impact on emoji use or if it contributes to vaccination rates, but it shouldn’t hurt.”