- Hundreds of you voted for your favorite iOS 26.4 emoji
- There was a clear winner among the eight new entrants
- … as well as a clear loser
We recently asked you to vote for your favorite of the eight new emojis Apple introduced with the iOS 26.4 update, and we can now reveal the results.
And you came in your hundreds, with over 500 votes cast between our poll article and our WhatsApp channel.
As a reminder, here are the new emojis you voted on:
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- Ballet Dancer
- Distorted Face
- Fight Cloud
- Hairy Creature (sasquatch/bigfoot)
- Landslide
- Orca
- Treasure Chest
- Trombone
So, which emoji has won, and which ones are failing to make an impact in your everyday communications?
With further ado, here are the results — from least popular to the new emoji finding a permanent place in your most used section.
8. Landslide
- Percentage of vote: 2.21%
Poor Landslide. Its majestic peak and crumbling rocks offer excellent attention to detail, but this new icon has failed to resonate with you, the TechRadar readers.
While it appears to be off to a slow start, perhaps Landslide will see a surge in popularity during key events such as major elections. Who doesn’t love a landslide win, after all?
7. Trombone
- Percentage of vote: 3.31%
Faring only slightly better than Landslide is Trombone, with the brass instrument rubbing shoulders with emoji incumbents Saxophone and Trumpet.
Being the third instrument in this group could have lessened its impact, although I see long-term potential for Trombone in both celebratory and disappointing scenarios.
*sad trombone sound*
6. Ballet Dancer
- Percentage of vote: 3.86%
Dancing emojis are nothing new. The now-iconic Woman Dancing and Man Dancing are well-known, while People With Bunny Ears has also been around for a while.
We also already have Ballet Shoes as another emoji to select from. Ballet Dancer doesn’t break any new ground, then — but for fans of the art, it will be a welcome addition.
=4. Orca
- Percentage of vote: 5.51%
Now we’re into the congested midfield, where the next four emojis are closely matched when it comes to votes, with Orca receiving the same amount of votes as our next entry.
Box office smash Free Willy is over 30 years old, which means younger generations won’t have the same connection to the killer whale as those born in the 80s and earlier.
Maybe it’s time for a reboot?
=4. Hairy Creature
- Percentage of vote: 5.51%
I was surprised by this result. I really thought Hairy Creature would garner more votes than it has here. The bigfoot / sasquatch icon is a little more left-field, but for me, it’s the most fun addition of the eight new entries.
Joint fourth isn’t a terrible result, but Hairy Creature deserves better.
3. Treasure Chest
- Percentage of vote: 5.70%
Sneaking into third place is Treasure Chest. The perfect emoji to accompany messages about pay rises, lotto wins, Sea of Thieves group chats, and pirate-themed party invites.
There’s a lovely amount of detail to enjoy here, with the wooden chest filled with gold coins, a trio of rubies, a crown, and a pearl necklace. It’s a collection of booty that even Captain Jack Sparrow would be proud of.
2. Fight Cloud
- Percentage of vote: 5.88%
Beating out the competition to clinch second is Fight Cloud. A classic comic book-inspired icon which can playfully suggest having a brawl.
The cloud is bursting with yellow and red stars, and is encompassed by a couple of red rings, giving a sense of motion and commotion. There’s not really another emoji that offers up the same feeling as Fight Cloud, which could be a reason why it’s placed above others — although, not by a huge amount.
1. Distorted Face
- Percentage of vote: 68.01%
It wasn’t even close in the end. Distorted Face is the clear favorite of the new iOS 26.4 emojis, gobbling up almost 70% of all the votes cast.
Based on a common anime expression, Distorted Face has caused great discussion online over its meaning and how people are using it. This Reddit thread, for instance, has over 450 comments about it alone.
The bug-eyed, inflated-faced emoji is already being used to convey anxiety, bloating, panic, shock, surprise, vulnerability, and more.
So there you have it — the new iOS 26.4 emojis ranked by popularity. Let us know how you’re using them in the comments below. And for those of you looking ahead, there are reports that iOS 27 could be just around the corner.
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