What are the current restrictions on iOS emoji usage? I am making an app which contains emojis as follows:


Categories such as "Business", "Technology" etc. exist and near them I plan to show a suggestive emoji retrieved from the server.
In the navigation bar, when chatting with somebody, there is one of three emojis shown next to his/her name depending on the text messages received.
I have a view which I display when there is no content to show in table views. It contains a suggestive emoji.


As far as I know, there were a lot of apps rejected in February because of emoji usage and I can't really find any strict guidelines about how to use them in my app. Do my use cases break the rules?

Thanks.
Whenever in such doubt when publishing an iOS app, your first step should be to thoroughly go through the App Store Review Guidelines.

Searching for emoji, these are the relevant matches in the document:


  4.5.6 Apps may use Unicode characters that render as Apple emojis in their app and app metadata. Apple emojis may not be used on other platforms or embedded directly in your app binary.





  5.2.5 Apple Products: ... Apps and extensions, including third party keyboards and Sticker packs, may not include Apple emoji. ...


It is clear that using unicode characters which render as Apple Emojis is permitted, but using Apple Emojis is not allowed.