Apple focuses on diversity with new emoji

A redesigned emoji keyboard has been released, featuring more skin tones and same-sex parents

Apple has previously been criticised for not showing enough diversity in its emojis

The emoji keyboard on the Apple iPhone has been updated to include "diverse" emojis, with a range of skin tones and different family combinations.

People can now pick faces with different skin tones, following criticism that the previous keyboard didn't have enough diversity.

Families also now come with the option of two mums and two dads.

The new keyboard appears for anyone who has updated to the latest software, iOS 8.3.

There are around 300 new emojis, which includes the new Apple Watch and more country flags.

The diverse options aren't displayed on the main keyboard. Users should hold down on their chosen emoji, where they will then see the option of five other skin tones.

The Unicode Consortium, the developers that ensure emojis are rendered and read by software correctly, has previously said that people all over the world "want to have emoji that reflect more human diversity, especially for skin tone".

Developed for use in Japanese SMS messages, emojis have become an enormously popular way of making texts and tweets more expressive. Each emoji represents an emotion, expression, state of mind, or a person, place or thing. There are now almost 1,000 to choose from.

The heart emoji for love was the most used character in 2014.