When Apple releases more than 100 new and redesigned emojis later this year, fans of the black gun are likely to be disappointed - the menacing symbol is going to be replaced with a green water pistol.

The swap will come when Apple rolls out its new operating system - iOS 10 - and will be among a number of updated emojis on offer, including occupational emojis now available in female versions (such as a female weightlifter and female engineer) and new family configurations.

Apple doesn't create emojis; they're made by the independent Unicode Consortium, which standardizes the way emoji characters are encoded so that they can appear on a series of platforms, including iOS and Android.

Apple has declined to comment on the change in the gun emoji, which was reported by several tech news outlets, and the tech giant's statement on the upcoming release of new emojis largely focused on gender equality and diversity.

But gun control advocates have hailed the symbolic move as a step forward. New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, a non-profit organization, ran a Disarm the iPhone campaign targeting the pistol emoji. The organization's Executive Director Leah Barrett told CNNMoney that Apple's move showed it was standing up to the gun industry. "There are many more life-affirming ways to express oneself than with a gun," she said.