Following other tech companies, Microsoft is giving its pistol emoji an overhaul

After Apple, Google, and Facebook committed to changing the gun emoji on their platforms, Microsoft is following suit. Not wanting to be left out, Microsoft this week said that it will change its pistol emoji to "reflect our values and the feedback we've received." The new emoji more closely resembles a water gun than an actual gun.

Apple was the first to make a change to its gun emoji in 2016, and other tech companies have followed suit to less-realistic depictions following high-profile shootings in recent years. It's unclear when the new emoji will roll out to Windows users, but it wouldn't be surprising to see it arrive alongside the spring feature update or Redstone 5 later this year.

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Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl