New iOS 26.4 emojis ranked by popularity: from distorted face to furry creature

Hundreds of you voted for your favorite iOS 26.4 emoji
Among the eight new participants there was a clear winner
…plus 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 now we can reveal the results.

And hundreds came, with over 500 votes cast between our poll article and our WhatsApp channel.

As a reminder, here are the new emojis you voted for:

Article continues below.

ballet dancer
Distorted face
Fight against the cloud
Furry creature (sasquatch/bigfoot)
Landslide
Killer whale
Treasure chest
Trombone

So which emoji have won and which ones fail to make an impact on your daily communications?

With further ado, here are the results: from the least popular to the new emoji that find a permanent place in the most used section.

The eight new emoji that arrived in the iOS 26.4 update (Image credit: future)

8. Landslide

Voting percentage: 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, TechRadar readers.

While it appears to have gotten off to a slow start, perhaps Landslide will see a surge in popularity during key events like major elections. After all, who doesn’t love a landslide victory?

7. trombone

Voting percentage: 3.31%

Trombone fares only slightly better than Landslide, with the brass instrument rubbing shoulders with emoji starters Saxophone and Trumpet.

Being the third instrument in this group might have lessened its impact, although I see long-term potential for the trombone in both celebratory and disappointing settings.

*sad trombone sound*

6. Ballet dancer

Voting percentage: 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 have ballet slippers as another emoji to choose from. Ballet Dancer doesn’t break new ground, so — but for art fans, it will be a welcome addition.

=4. Killer whale

Voting percentage: 5.51%

Now we’re in the crowded midfield, where the next four emojis are very close when it comes to votes, and Orca receives the same number of votes as our next entry.

Box office success Free Willy is over 30 years old, which means younger generations won’t have the same connection to the orca as those born in the ’80s and earlier.

Maybe it’s time for a reboot?

=4. furry creature

Voting percentage: 5.51%

I was surprised by this result. I really thought Hairy Creature would get more votes than here. The bigfoot/sasquatch icon is a little more left, but for me, it’s the funniest addition of the eight new entries.

Joint fourth place isn’t a terrible result, but Hairy Creature deserves better.

3. Treasure chest

Voting percentage: 5.70%

Third is the Treasure Chest. The perfect emoji to accompany messages about pay raises, lottery wins, Sea of Thieves group chats, and invitations to pirate-themed parties.

There’s plenty 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 loot that even Captain Jack Sparrow would be proud of.

2. Fight against the cloud

Voting percentage: 5.88%

Beating the competition to take second place is Fight Cloud. A classic comic-inspired icon that can playfully suggest a fight.

The cloud is filled with yellow and red stars and is surrounded by a pair of red rings, giving a sense of movement and commotion. There really isn’t another emoji that offers the same feel as Fight Cloud, which could be a reason why it is placed above others. — although not to a great extent.

1. Distorted face

Voting percentage: 68.01%

In the end it wasn’t even close. Distorted Face is the clear favorite of the new iOS 26.4 emojis, swallowing up almost 70% of all votes cast.

Based on a common expression from anime, Distorted Face has caused a lot of discussion online about its meaning and how people use it. This Reddit thread, for example, has over 450 comments on it alone.

The bulging eyes and puffy face emoji is already being used to convey anxiety, swelling, 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 are using them in the comments below. And for those looking to the future, there are reports that iOS 27 could be just around the corner.

Google logo on black background next to text that says