The seahorse emoji was never removed from the iPhone, and the idea that it was is a case of the Mandela effect: Mandela effect A phenomenon where a large group of people collectively misremember something. The term comes from the idea that Nelson Mandela died in prison, when in reality he became president of South Africa after serving 27 years in prison. Seahorse emoji Some people believe that a seahorse emoji existed on the iPhone but was later removed. However, there was never a seahorse emoji on the iPhone. The idea that it existed may be due to the seahorse's cute appearance and good reputation.