Microsoft Will Include the 'Middle Finger' Emoji in Windows 10

Microsoft is set to introduce the 'middle finger' emoji with its Windows 10 OS releasing this summer. The Redmond giant will be the first company to add the offensive emoji as both Apple's iOS and Google's Android have given it a miss until now.

According to Emojipedia, Windows 10 will include new set emojis and will be Microsoft's first major update to emoji characters since Windows 8.1 back in 2013. A Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed the news to CNET.

Some of the new emojis expected to arrive in Windows 10 include face with "Ok gesture" with black skin tone; reversed hand with middle finger extended, flushed face; information desk person with cream white skin tone. Emojipedia also adds that the changes include skin tone modifiers; new colour emoji font; Segoe UI Emoji.

Emojipedia adds that the middle finger emoji was approved last year as part of Unicode 7. The site has also posted an image of the upcoming "reversed hand with middle finger extended" that sports a grey colour tone. The site claims that Microsoft will have a range of skin tone options with the new emoji.

A Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed to Cnet about the incorporation of the new emoji set by Microsoft, "Generally Microsoft includes the emoji icon characters in its products in support of the Unicode Standard, which provides a unique number for every character across platforms, programs, and languages, and has been adopted by most industry tech leaders. To the greatest extent possible, Microsoft does not make edits or exclusions to characters, in support of the Unicode Standard."

On being asked about the addition of the middle finger emoji, the spokeswoman added: "We are aligning with the latest Unicode Standard specifications, which includes this image."

Last week, Joe Belfiore, Corporate Vice President, Operating Systems Group at Microsoft, confirmed that Microsoft was "on track" for a summer release of Windows 10 and clarified that it would initially arrive for PCs followed by other devices - smartphones, HoloLens, Xbox, and Surface devices.