New Emojis, Including “Pinching Fingers,” Are Coming in April

Parents, like everyone else, use emojis to communicate, often times with each other. And soon, starting in April to be exact, a whole new slew of emojis will be available on both iPhones and androids. And yes, that includes “the pinching finger.” Here’s how to get the new emojis.

First things first: this new emoji rollout doesn’t happen until April, so everybody has to slow their roll a little bit when it comes to getting really excited about the pinching fingers or any of the other new emojis. So, for now, if you want to know how to get this new emojis, the answer is to just wait.

But, when the emojis do drop, there will be a lot of cool additions. Lots of new couples holding hands, plus images of all sorts of animals previously, and bizarrely, not available in emoji form, including an orangutan, a skunk, and a flamingo.

But, when it comes to the pinching finger, the uses for it seem numerous. For many on social media, the connations have immediately been sexual. But for parents — and other exhausted adults — the pinching finger will be a battle cry of nuance, a way to express that feeling of “kinda” or a “little bit” without using too many words.

Once the “pinching finger” becomes available, it seems likely everyone will be using it. But, parents might be using it even more than anyone. Trying to ask your spouse to turn down the heat a “little bit” without talking or waking the baby. Use the “pinching finger.” Want to tell your spouse exactly how much wine is left in the fridge? Use the pinching finger. You get the idea.

The new emojis release in April, which is just a little bit longer than everyone would like.