X revives regular gun emoji, replacing water pistol

Several years ago, companies like Apple, Google, Twitter, Microsoft and more decided that the gun emoji was a threat to society (slight exaggeration) and made the decision to replace it with a toy gun or water pistol. Since then, most companies have stuck with the kiddish pistol emoji in their own implementations of emojis.

But it seems X is ready to embrace the regular gun emoji once again, as highlighted by The Verge. An X employee announced the change a few days ago, confirming that the gun emoji has been restored for the website.

The X employee also responded to user-observation about the gun emoji still being labeled as a “Water pistol” when hovered upon by stating that it “will be updated.” This attention to detail indicates that the decision was not made lightly and is part of a broader strategy to differentiate X from other social media giants.

Elon Musk also chimed in under the announcement post, stating “Fixed on web, soon to be fixed in rendering on mobile!” So expect to see the regular gun emoji land on the X app for iOS and Android soon. With this, Musk signals that this move aligns with his vision for X as a platform that values free expression and resists what some perceive as excessive political correctness.

While the practical impact of a single emoji change may seem minor, it reflects broader debates about content moderation, free speech, and corporate responsibility in the digital age. As X continues to evolve under Musk’s leadership, this move may be seen as another step in distinguishing the platform from its competitors and appealing to users who favor a less restricted online environment.