Seahorse Emoji A Case Of 'Mandela Effect'? Exploring Controversy Sweeping iPhone Fanatics

Was there ever a sea horse emoji on the iPhone keyboard? This question, having sprung up from a viral reel recently, seems to have caught the internet by storm. And, turns out, most users of iPhones cannot correctly remember it, making the situation akin to a case of the 'Mandela effect.'It all started with an Instagram reel where the content creator asked Google's Gemini AI if there was ever a seahorse emoji on an iPhone. Gemini replied in the video, saying, "No." As the reel went viral, many started claiming that there was indeed a seahorse emoji on the iPhone, which, for some reason, does not exist anymore. Several posts were made to that effect and conspirators spun elaborate conspiracy theories behind the removal of the seahorse emoji. All of it, despite the fact that there was never a seahorse emoji on the iPhone. Quickly, claims were made about whether it was a case of 'Mandela effect.'For the unacquainted, the 'Mandela effect' is a case when a large group of people cannot collectively remember something. The name Mandela comes from a similar case associated with Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa. Many believed that Mandela, who was in prison for 27 years before coming out and becoming the president, died in prison. There is a sub on Reddit that discusses and archives cases of the 'Mandela effect' in the form of users' comments. A quick review of it indicates that it is, in fact, quite common for this to occur, with users reporting regular occurrences. The case of the seahorse emoji allegedly disappearing was also discussed there.