Skip to content

Sark flag emoji will prove island's 'own identity'

Connor Belford
BBC News, Guernsey
Emojipedia The eight new emojis coming out in the Unicode 16.0 release, including the flag of Sark, which is a red St George's cross on a white background, with the upper right quarter fully in red with two golden lions on it. Emojipedia
The Sark update (bottom right) will see the flag joining more than 3,700 emojis

The release of a Sark flag emoji will be in April, as part of the iOS 18.4 update, Apple officials have confirmed.

Requirements for an official flag as an emoji are different than for other icons, and have included getting featured on the International Standards List (ISO) 3166, which provides unique codes to recognised countries and jurisdictions.

Sark qualified for the ISO's "exceptionally reserved" recognition category, while trying to secure a new online domain for the island - cq - meaning it was automatically allocated a country flag emoji.

Paul Armorgie, former owner of Stocks Hotel, said it was "important" for Sark to have its own identity that was separate from Guernsey.

A white man with a white beard and glasses, wearing a green jumper and a blue stripey shirt sits in a red armchair in front of a creme wall.
Paul Armorgie from the Stocks Hotel says the move will bring a lot of positives for local businesses

Mr Armorgie said he was "really excited' for what the emoji meant for local business.

He said: "It really is a chance to put Sark on the map and enhance its reputation.

"We're terribly small, so to be recognised globally is very exciting for all sectors.

"It identifies Sark as being separate to Guernsey. To have our own identity I think is really important," he added.

A white man in a white shirt and a navy fleece with a beard and long hair, sits in front of a white house, with a green garden and blue skies.
Mike Locke from the Chief Pleas says getting the emoji was a 'bonus' from the ongoing project of getting Sark its own domain.

Conseiller Mike Locke, from Sark's Chief Pleas Online Identity Committee, said most Sarnians were "interested and excited" about being able to use their flag online.

Mr Locke explained the Online Identity Committee ended up securing the emoji as a "bonus" while working on a long-term project.

The committee was working to get Sark a unique website domain that would help internet users there be distinguished online from users in Guernsey, and prevent problems such as people not knowing about island's different taxes.

The first part of achieving this was securing international recognition, which coincidentally was also the requirement of securing the emoji.

Mr Locke said: "It [Sark's existing domain] either doesn't say where we are or it says we are in a different country entirely, and that's just confusing.

"The most important thing... [is] that those people in businesses who wish can proudly say... 'dot.cq' so that people will know that 'cq' means you're on Sark."

Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [email protected].