This is the emoji we're all using the most, according to Apple

The iOS 11.1 update just dumped a whole load of new emojis on iPhones and iPads around the world, but most commonly used emoji is one of the all-time classics - according to Apple, we use "tears of joy face" more than any of the other cartoon symbols.

Based on a rather simple chart snuck into a privacy document published by Apple, the tears of joy face is way ahead of the red heart and the crying face in second and third place respectively - though there are no numbers attached to the graphic.

The document as a whole explains the way Apple tries to put forward useful suggestions - like the emoji you might want to type next - while balancing the need for user privacy and anonymizing much of the data that gets sent back to Apple's servers, so it can't be specifically linked to you.

Emoji ups and downs

It's perhaps reassuring that the most popular emoji in use on Apple devices is one expressing such happiness. Based on previous statistics, the tears of joy face wins out in much of the world, including the US and the UK.

On a more serious note, a feud is brewing in emoji land, specifically in the Unicode organization which sets down the emoji standards that others follow: some members aren't happy that a frowning pile of poop is about to join the standard poop icon.

The fear is from some at Unicode that the poop emoji isn't in the best taste, and that allowing different facial expressions on it besides the default one will open the floodgates to a deluge of new poop-themed images. The debate continues for the next batch of emoji to be released next year.