What is the Apple iOS 12.1 blue eye emoji?

Apple emoji fans are in for a treat with 70 expressive new icons soon to be released.

If you prefer to communicate using emojis wherever possible – perhaps to express heartbreak, fury or any of life’s other major emotional setbacks  – then you’ll soon have a whole new armoury of symbols and pictures with which to do so.

News of the latest emoji list has been a major boost for those who’ve grown sick of typing out the word ‘bagel’ or felt that the llamas of this world had been cruelly left out of the animal emoji party.

But not every icon in the new update is quite so easy to decipher. Many of us have been left wondering: what is that unusual looking emoji with what looks like an eye in the middle?

What is the blue eye emoji in the new Apple iOS update?

CREDIT: EMOJIPEDIA

What looks like an eye in the iOS 12.1 update is in fact an eye amulet. Known variously as the Nazar amulet, eye bead or just Nazar, it’s a common ornament in countries such as Turkey, Greece and other countries around the East Mediterranean.

Intended to ward off the ‘evil eye,’ the amulet is often worked into clothing or jewellery and hung on the walls inside houses and other public spaces.

What is the ‘evil eye’?

An ancient tradition in various cultures around the world, it is believed that some people have the ability to bring misfortune to others by glaring at them in an evil-looking manner. The Nazar is used to ward off any curse that this malevolent look might bring and protect its wearer from harm.

It’s a common superstition, with various interpretations and beliefs which surround it in different cultures. Thanks to the latest emoji update, it’s even made the successful transition over to the age of smart phones. (Although, how you can give someone the ‘evil eye’ via a text messaging app is anyone’s guess).