Thousands of Apple users are taking to Twitter to mourn the loss of the gun emoji in the iOS 10 update.
The software update includes over one hundred new and updated emoji, including new female athletes and professionals, a new rainbow flag, and more family options. As users update their devices, many aren’t concerned with the new diversity portrayed on their phone, but instead are preoccupied with the loss of their right to carry a gun emoji.
With the release of iOS 10 tomorrow, today is the last day we will have a gun emoji 🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫 #only90skidsremember
— Jack Hudak (@Jack53308209) September 13, 2016
The gun emoji isn’t actually gone. Newly disguised in a lime green color, it’s been modified to appear as a squirt gun emoji instead of a lethal device.
Gun emoji on iOS 9
— things i once enjoyed 💔 (@ppea1998xx) September 13, 2016
= Gangster
and on iOS 10
= Watergun pew pew !! #iOS10
Users say the loss of the gun emoji means they won’t be updating their iPhone’s operating systems anytime soon.
https://twitter.com/spookyvictoria1/status/771868463857971200
https://twitter.com/LaurenBrennen/status/775760435513585666
😵😵😵😵😵🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫
— John (@jermsguy) September 13, 2016
Just using the gun emoji while I still can. iOS 10 is a safe space.
https://twitter.com/SummerKing_/status/772115794876633088
https://twitter.com/hhaileeturry/status/775765278097481728
Not everyone is upset about the update. Gun control activists welcome the change, while others simply think the water gun is cute.
https://twitter.com/OttyC3231/status/770502773146263552
People have previously been arrested for using the gun emoji. For example, the Washington Post reported in February that a 12-year-old in Fairfax, Virginia, faced criminal charges for using the gun emoji in an Instagram post. So if you’re going to give it a sendoff, well—keep the safety on.
