I Spent My Quarantine Designing 150 Very Necessary Emojis Apple Forgot To Make

The range of human emotion is vast and complex. We feel a lot of different ways about a lot of different things and, of course, we want to express that. But so often we settle for options that are merely close enough, not just with words, but with emojis as well. And each time we settle, we betray that little part of ourselves that wants to feel heard and understood. So with the extra time this past year, I decided I'm up for the challenge, and that's how Very Necessary Emojis were born. A collection of over 150 Apple-style emojis that you can actually use right now, on the App Store.

Without further ado, here are the emojis we need (and can now have).

More info: Instagram

Because dear god the world is full of nuisance. A smiling middle finger, a deranged blood-splattered face, an alien facepalm, a depressed clown, and the heavily requested emo emoji are some of the emojis you probably won't be able to go a week without on this dizzying sphere we call home.

Fine, so the world's in turmoil, but it's also full of people we care for and who care for us back. For those little beautiful moments that happen over text, wholesome emojis make them sweeter.

Because every single one of us is awkward as heck—there's no getting around it. In fact, even this assortment doesn't do justice to how hilariously strange we all really are.

Because that laughing one with the tears? Yeah I never actually cry-laugh at a text, which means I should either find funnier friends (sorry friends), or create more accurate emojis. You can guess which path I chose...

We communicate with our hands and, subsequently, with emojis of our hands. And, fascinatingly, so many of our hand gestures are internationally understood. That's why we gotta have more hand gestures, and now we finally do.

I was thoroughly surprised that we didn't already have at least one (besides the shushing face), and the number of times we pretend to whisper over text is eye-opening.

Has it ever bothered you that the only sunglass-wearing expression on the default emoji keyboard is a satisfied smile? If so, you're welcome. If not, third emoji on the top row.

Any legitimately great film will feature a complicated hug—a hug that isn't given with a simple smile. That's because hugs allow us to embrace people who are feeling all sorts of ways, and now even when you're not physically together, you can represent the specific hug you feel your friend truly needs. Also chef kiss, because nothing expresses perfection like a discerning culinary professional.

When I first released the app last year, it only had 72 emojis. It's got more than double that now, and the list of new emojis we need just keeps getting longer! In part, of course, because people love to leave their ideas for emojis in the reviews, which has made this project so much more enjoyable. Every single Friday I release a new emoji that I designed that week, sometimes from the community's suggestions, and sometimes from my own list of ideas.

I hope you have as much fun using them as I have making them, and I'm truly excited to hear which emojis you've always wished you could use.

You can also find me on Instagram @VeryNecessaryEmojis