Microsoft, Google and Facebook are among the major platforms to join the trend, swapping out the gun emoji with a toy water pistol.

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The move was part of a commitment made by vendors to redesign the weapon in an effort to create continuity across platforms, Emojipedia reported.

Apple first made the change back in August, 2016, but did not comment on the reasoning behind the swap.

iOS, Twitter, Samsung and WhatsApp have also made the change.

Microsoft said on Twitter it was evolving its emojis to reflect the company's values and the feedback it had received.

The move away from the graphic of the weapon to a toy comes after mass demonstrations by students in the United States and globally, demanding tighter gun control laws.

In March, tens of thousands of people gathered across the US at March For Our Lives rallies, led by the student survivors of the Parkland, Florida, shooting.

Seventeen people were killed in the attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.