How to use emoji on the iphone
William Clark
Updated on March 29, 2026
A built in emoji keyboard is included with the iPhone. You don’t need to download any free or paid emoji apps.
These instructions are for the following iPhones when they are running iOS 8.3 and above. Source: Apple
Add an emoji
- Tap the text field, then tap or .
- Use the gray icons at the bottom of the keyboard to switch emoji themes, or swipe left or right to view more. Tap to see emoji that you’ve recently used.
- To change the skin tone of certain emoji, tap and hold an emoji.
- Tap an emoji to add it to your text field.
Tips: ♡ If you do want some new emojis then you can copy paste the emojis from Cute Symbols.
Tap to replace words with emoji
The Messages app shows you words that you can replace with emoji.
- Open Messages and tap to start a new message or go to an existing conversation.
- Write your message, then tap or on your keyboard.
- Wait for the words to turn orange.
- Tap an orange word to replace it with an emoji. If there’s more than one emoji you can use, the Quick Reply field shows you options to choose from.
- Tap to send.
If you want to replace the emoji with the original word, just tap the emoji.
How to search for emoji
- Getemoji
- emojipedia.org
- Cute Symbols.
- Emojis Wiki — All Emoji Meanings
Emoji: Everything you need to know!
If you want to get more black and white emoji symbols, you can check out How to Make Aesthetic Symbols and Text Symbols. And, if you want more colorful emojis, then check out this site: Cute Symbols — Emoji for copy and paste
Find more content about cute symbols and emoji here:
- Welcome to read: ♥♡ Heart Symbol – Copy and Paste Love Emoji
- The ultimate guide on how to use emoji and emoji history.
- Here are some emoji facts you didn’t know. It might surprise you!
- 11 Cute Ways To Say I Love You With Emoji.
- What Are the Most Popular Emoji Used In 2020? Just check it out here!
- How to Send Black And White Emojis On Instagram and Facebook- Copy & Paste
- Ultimate Halloween Emoji List for the upcoming happy Halloween.
Do you want to know how to add, use and manage emoji on an iPhone?
In this tutorial, I will guide the readers to access emoji, manage, and enable the functionality on the iPhone, and iPad. Apple added universally supported emojis that is compatible with cross-platform devices.
How to enable emoji in the keyboard?
As the title suggests, Apple added emojis in the keyboard and you can access it anytime using the inbuilt virtual keyboard. iOS enables the function by default, and you don’t have to perform multiple actions to use it. However, you might have disabled it by mistake or someone might have disabled it. In this short tutorial, I will show you how you can enable emoji on the keyboard.
- Fire up “Settings” and tap on “General” settings.
- Swipe down and tap on “Keyboard” options.
- Tap on “Keyboards” to add a check and add a new one.
- Click on “Add New Keyboard” to continue. Remember, the “Emoji” keyboard should show up below the “English” language, and that’s how you know that it is enabled.
- Click on “Emoji” to add it to the keyboard.
- The Emoji option should appear in the list.
Remember, it is removable by tapping on the “Edit” button and swipe right to view more options and then tap on the “Delete” button to remove it. Coming to the performance review, I never had a performance decline while using the keyboard. Apple-designed the keyboard for a smooth experience, and I used it in an old iPhone.
How to use Emojis on an iPhone and iPad
I want to remind you that you can use the keyboard emojis on multiple applications including WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord, and more. Apple added universally recognized elements in the phone, and don’t worry about the compatibility issues.
- Fire up iMessage and open “Keyboard” to type.
- Tap on the emoji icon in the left bottom of the keyboard to view more.
- Tap to add one element, and tap on the “Send” button to send it.
You can add multiple elements from the keyboard, and there is a wide range of collection of elements that you can use to improve the conversation. Every single emoji is supported by the cross-platform, and remember, they might look slightly different on the other phones.
Predictive emoji
Apple phones are designed for modern consumers that don’t want to spend plenty of time navigating the device. The predictive technology evolved over the years in the keyboard, and now, you can add an emoji using specific keywords. Let me demonstrate it and then try to comprehend how it works.
Type “Happy” and related elements will show up on the predictive area. That includes word correction and emojis, and tap to use them in the conversation.
Now, you can type common words such as Map, Car, Vehicle, Bulb, Mango, Tree, Money, and more. The predictive tool offers multiple word correction and emojis in the area, and you have to tap on them to add it to the conversation.
Replace any word with emoji
Did you know that you can replace any word with emoji? Yeah, you can do it, and I will show you how you can accomplish the task without spending additional time on figuring it out. Follow the guide, and it works on iOS 12.1 or above.
- Open the keyboard and type whatever you want to express in words.
- Tap & hold on the word that you want to replace it with an emoji. A quick toggle shows up on the screen and tap on “Select” to select the word.
- Once the specific word is selected, the predictive function kicks-in, and now tap on the emoji available in the predictive area.
- Replace all words with emojis, and I have demonstrated in the snapshot below.
- Tap on the send button to deliver the message.
Remember, you cannot change every single word because the majority of them are not available in the market.
Make sure to use the words that have dedicated emojis in the library. Do not use random words or select random words, and expect iOS to cover for you.
Bottom Line
You can install a third-party package from the Apple app store, but they might not support cross-platform and they may end up having an error. Your phone or iPad needs to run iOS 12.1 or above for modern functions, and further support.
iPad and iPhone emojis are a great way to add a little flair to messages and other text you type in the Messages app, or any other app that lets you use your iPad or iPhone keyboard. Now, with iOS 14, Apple has made iOS emojis easier to find and use than ever before with the new emoji search feature. Let’s learn how to use this emoji finder to quickly locate the emoji you want on your emoji keyboard.
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How to Quickly Find the iPhone Emojis You Want with Emoji Search
I’m going to use the Messages app for this tutorial, but emoji search also works in other apps where you use your iPhone keyboard, including Mail, Notes, Facebook, and more. We’ve already shown you how to find and use the GIF keyboard on your iPhone and iPad to add GIFs to messages. Now, let’s learn how to use the emoji search feature to add emojis to the text you type on your iPhone and iPad.
- Open the Messages app (or another app where you want to type and use emojis).
- Open an existing text thread or start a new message, then tap the smiley face in the lower-left corner of your screen.
And there you go; no more scrolling through tons of emojis to find the one you want!
Check out our free Tip of the Day for more great Apple device tutorials.
Author Details
Author Details
Leanne Hays
Leanne Hays is an SEO Content Strategist and Feature Writer at iPhone Life, and has written hundreds of in-depth how-to and troubleshooting articles. She’s a former Associate Editor for iPhone Life magazine, and has written for the Iowa Source , as well as web content for education marketing. Leanne has an associate’s degree in education, with a focus on curriculum development, as well as a bachelor’s degree in science. She has over nine years of experience with SEO, social media management, and web development and writing. Despite years of web work, Leanne is by no means an early adapter; she’s only owned a smartphone for five years, which makes her highly sympathetic to the learning curve of new iPhone owners. She enjoys making reader’s lives easier and putting her education experience to work by walking them through the most practical ways to use Apple devices, step-by-step.
In off-work hours, Leanne is a mother of two, homesteader, audiobook fanatic, musician, and learning enthusiast.
Source: iMore
Language is constantly evolving, and even though language purists may not like it, communicating with Emoji is becoming more and more common especially in social communication. Apple’s latest iOS has taken Emoji integration to new heights by offering you a ton of new ways to use Emoji. Show your 😁 (smile) to the 🌎 (world) and have a 💥 (blast) with Emoji!
How to use emoji on iPhone and iPad
Most apps that use the Keyboard can access all the Emoji, I’ll use the Messages app to show you how they work.
- Launch the app you want to use.
- Tap on the text field you want to use the Emoji.
Tap on the emoji key. It sits below the keyboard and looks like a face.
Source: iMore
Tap the version of the Emoji you want to use. This may not appear on all Emoji, so you won’t always have to do this step.
Source: iMore
How to disable emoji on your iPhone or iPad
By default the Emoji Keyboard is active on your iPhone or iPad, if you prefer to avoid it, you can disable it at anytime.
- Launch the Settings app from your Home screen.
- Tap General.
Tap Keyboard. Source: iMore
Tap Keyboards.
Tap Delete.
Source: iMore
How to enable emoji on your iPhone or iPad
If you want to start using Emoji again, you can enable the keyboard at anytime.
- Launch the Settings app from your Home screen.
- Tap General.
Tap Keyboard.
Source: iMore
Tap Add New Keyboard.
Tap Emoji.
Source: iMore
How do you get the 3x bigger emoji in iMessage?
Bigger emoji are better emoji. They let you see all the details and convey all the emotions. If you’re running iOS 10, iMessage can now show you emoji at three times the normal size. But only under certain circumstances.
- Enter one to three emoji in the iMessage text field.
Tap the Send button. (Looks like an upward arrow)
Source: iMore
If you enter more than three emoji, they’ll default back to 1x size. If you enter emoji and any other text, they’ll default back to 1x size. So, if you really want 3x emoji, you can only send emoji, and you can only send one to three of them in a single iMessage.
How to use Animoji on the iPhone X
If you’re an iPhone X user and you want to use the face-tracking Aniomji to send an animated message (or perhaps do some Aniomji karaoke) the steps are a little different than using a standard emoji.
How to search for emoji in iOS 14
In iOS 14, Apple has add the ability to search throgh the emoji on your iPhone (at present, this capability isn’t availalbe on iPad).
Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas. While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That’s why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.
- Tap the Emoji key while using the keyboard in an app that supports the standard iOS keyboard.
- Tap the search field above the emoji.
Search for your emoji of choice.
Source: iMore
Updated July 2020: Updated for the latest iOS updated.
David Williams I am a true junkie for everything tech. My current arsenal includes an Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, iPhone Xs, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Chromebook, iMac, and Dell XPS 13. Read more September 9, 2016
For those that have recently bought an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, you may want to know how to get Emojis on your iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The good news is that you can quickly get access to the iPhone 7 Emoji keyboard offered by Apple and also third-party Emojis. It’s important to note that you don’t have to purchase any apps from the Apple App Store to get these Emojis.
Emojis are quickly growing and everyone is using them now. You can use an Emoji to send a text, email, iMessage and with apps like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter on your iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Below we’ll explain how you can turn on the Emoji keyboard on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
How to install iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Emoji keyboard
- Turn on your iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus.
- From the Home screen, open the Settings app.
- Select on General.
- Browse and select on Keyboard.
- Then select on Keyboards.
- Select on Add New Keyboard.
- Browse and select on the Emoji option.
How to use iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Emoji Keyboard
After you follow the steps above you should have the Emoji installed on your iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus. Once you install the iPhone 7 Emoji keyboard, all you need to do to use these Emojis is go to your keyboard and select on the smiley icon next to the dictation icon on your keyboard. This only shows if you have Emoji and a main iPhone 7 keyboard enabled.
It’s easy to get emoji on your iPhone
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What to Know
- To enable emoji, open the Settings app and go to General >Keyboard >Keyboards >Add New Keyboard. Tap Emoji to enable the keyboard.
- To use emoji, tap the face or globe icon beneath the keyboard when typing a message. Tap any emoji icon to add it to the text.
- To remove the emoji keyboard, go to Settings >General >Keyboard >Keyboards >Edit. Select the red minus button next to Emoji >Delete.
The iPhone includes hundreds of emoji, all accessible and completely free—provided you enabled the built-in emoji keyboard. In this guide, we show you how to enable, use, and remove emoji on all iPhone, iPad, and iPhone touch devices with iOS 7 or later.
How to Enable Emoji on iPhone
To add emoji to your iPhone, install a new keyboard, which is as easy as selecting the emoji keyboard from the phone’s settings.
Open the Settings app.
Go to General > Keyboard.
Select Keyboards > Add New Keyboard.
Swipe through the list until you find Emoji, and then tap it to enable it.
On the Keyboards screen, you’ll see the language keyboard you chose at the initial setup of your iPhone, as well as the emoji keyboard. This means that emoji are enabled and ready to use.
How to Use Emoji on iPhone
With emoji added to your iPhone, you can now type these symbols in practically any app. It won’t work in all apps because some use a custom keyboard, but others like Messages, Notes, and Mail will work.
With the keyboard open, select the face or globe icon beneath the keyboard (on iPhone X) or to the left of the space bar to access the emoji menu.
To view all the emoji, scroll to the right or select an icon at the bottom to jump to that category of emoji (categories were introduced in iOS 8.3). Inserting an emoji in a message is as simple as selecting where you want it to go and then tapping the emoji from the tray.
To hide the emoji keyboard and return to the normal layout, tap the globe or alphabet key.
How to Use Multicultural Emoji
For years, the standard set of emoji available on the iPhone featured only white traits, like white faces and white hands. Apple worked with the Unicode Consortium, the group that controls emoji, to change the standard set to reflect a more diverse selection.
However, you have to perform a keyboard trick to see the multicultural options. Here’s how:
These steps are relevant for devices with iOS 8.3 or newer.
Open the emoji keyboard from an app that supports it.
Find an emoji that’s a single human face or hand, and tap and hold it.
With the new menu visible, slide your finger up into the panel to land on the emoji you want to use, and then lift your finger to insert the hidden emoji.
How to Remove the Emoji Keyboard
If you decide you don’t want to use emoji anymore and want to hide the keyboard, return to the keyboard settings to make the change.
These instructions show how to hide the emoji keyboard, not delete it, so you can always enable it again later.
Open the Settings app and go to General > Keyboard > Keyboards.
Tap Edit at the top and then select the red minus button next to Emoji.
Share a cartoon version of you
Ever had a friend send you a cartoon version of themselves animated by their real facial expressions over iMessage and wondered what this was. Apple decided to add the Memoji and Animoji feature to the iPhone X series of phones and new iOS versions beyond that
Then, when iOS 13 came out, it allowed older iPhones the ability to create Memojis and use the Memoji sticker feature. However, in order to use Animoji,your iPhone needs to have Face ID. This is because these phones use a TrueDepth camera for Face ID features and Animoji. These are the iPhone X models of phones and later.
If your phone supports Memoji andAnimoji, follow this guide to find out how to create them, how to use Memoji, and how to share them with friends.
Create Your Memoji in iMessage
In order to create your Memoji, head over to iMessage. Follow these steps to make your Memoji:
- Open iMessage, then either create a new message or open up an existing conversation.
- Look underneath the text field and look for the Animoji or Memoji sticker icons. Tap either one of them.
- Tap the blue plus sign icon on the left side. Or if you’ve never used or created a Memoji before, you may be prompted to create one.
- You will be taken to the Memoji creation screen.
Move your face so it’s visible to the iPhone’s TrueDepth camera. Your Memoji will be automatically altered to your features.
o through each creation option to change your Memoji however you like. Once you have it the way you want, tap on Done. You should see your Memoji as an option now either for Animoji or Memoji stickers.
Send Clips of Your Memoji With Animoji
While in iMessage, tap on the Animoji icon just below the text field. When it opens, you should see your created Memojis as well as some other emoji options you can use.
To create an Animoji, first make sure your face can be seen by your iPhone’s camera.
Then, tap on the Red record button and you’ll have 30 seconds to create an Animoji. You can make facial expressions and speak in order to make one.
Once finished, you can either tap the red stop button or wait for the time to run out.
Then you can tap the Blue up arrow to send your Animoji to the text conversation you’re in. If you want to replay your Animoji before sending it, tap the Rreplay button in the top left corner.
You can also save your Animoji if you want to share it with others or on other platforms. Once you’ve sent your Animoji, tap on it in your messages. Then, tap on the Blue share icon in the bottom left corner. You can tap on Save Video to save it to your camera roll, and from there you can post it wherever you wish.
How to Use Memoji Stickers
If you don’t have an iPhone X or later models, you might feel a little left out. Don’t worry, you can useg Memojis if you update your iPhone to iOS 13. Any phone that supports iOS 13 and has an A9 chip or newer can use Memoji stickers.
First, open your iMessages and navigate to an existing conversation or create a new one. Under the text box you should see the Memoji stickers icon.
Tap on this, and you can tap on the blue plus sign to create a Memoji. Or, you can choose from the other 3D emoji stickers available. Just tap on one and you can send it.
How to Use Memoji During FaceTime
Another way you can use your created Memoji is by replacing your face with it during FaceTime calls. Or you can use the other emojis as well. To use this feature, your iPhone needs to have the TrueDepth camera.
When you’re in a FaceTime call, tap on the Effects button. You will see the Memojis you can choose from. Tap on one and make sure the camera can see your face. You’ll automatically see your face change into your selected Memoji.
When you’re done with using the Memoji, tap the Close (X) button to stop using it.
How to Edit Your Memoji
Want to change a Memoji you’ve created? You have the option to edit any of them whenever you wish.
Go into iMessage and open a conversation. Tap on the Animoji or Memoji stickers icon and select the Memoji you wish to edit. Tap the Ellipses icon, and you’ll see the options to Edit, Duplicate, or Delete your Memoji.
Tap Edit to go to the Memoji creation screen where you can select whatever feature you want to change. Once you’ve made all the changes you wish to, tap on Done and it will save your edited Memoji.
If you want a copy of your Memoji, tap on Duplicate. You can edit this copy further and save the original one.
Finally, tap on Delete to get rid of the Memoji after you confirm you want to do so.
Use Your Memoji on Multiple Devices
If you want, you can use your Memoji on different Apple devices that support the feature. For example, if you have an iPad Pro, you can use the same Memoji on there as you use on your iPhone.
Simply make sure that you are signed into iCloud on the other devices with the same Apple ID that you created your original Memoji in. This way, the Memoji will be available across all devices logged into the same Apple ID. Also make sure you have iCloud Drive turned on.
Then have fun making faces with your friends on every supported Apple device you own.
Since she was a child, Kayla has had a fascination with technology, video games, and filmmaking. Growing up she wrote on multiple personal blogs about these topics, enjoying the process of breaking down technical concepts. Most recently her focus has shifted to writing, and Kayla now reviews and writes technology, video editing, and gaming related articles. Read Kayla’s Full Bio
It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and given the popularity of emojis it seems that most of us are in agreement. If you haven’t started using emojis yet, it’s time to learn where to find your iPhone emoji keyboard and how to use it. Whether you’re looking for happy, cute, or smiley emoji faces, some cool options from the animal or vegetable kingdoms, or even emojis for sports, holidays, or vehicles, there are literally thousands of iOS emojis to choose from. These are free emojis, and you don’t need to download anything except the latest version of iOS to keep getting each emoji update. Let’s get started learning how to find and use your iPhone emojis so you can join in the fun!
Enable Your iPhone Emoji Keyboard
The first thing you’ll need to do is make sure the emoji keyboard on your iPhone is enabled. To do this:
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- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General, then Keyboard.
- Now, tap Keyboards.
- Here you’ll see whether your emoji keyboard is already enabled; if you don’t see Emoji in your keyboard list, tap Add New Keyboard and do so.
- While you’re here go back to the Keyboards page and make sure Predictive is toggled on; this will come in handy when you try out the last tip in this article.
How to Use Your Emoji Keyboard
Now that your emoji keyboard is enabled, you can start using it in any app that uses the standard iPhone keyboard. This includes native apps like Mail and Messages, as well as lots of third-party apps including Facebook, Instagram, and many more. To begin:
- Open the app you’ve chosen, and tap on the text field, then tap the smiley face icon when the keyboard appears.
- Your emoji options will appear at the bottom of the screen; scroll left to see all your options including Frequently Used, Smileys & People, Animals & Nature, and many more.
- You can also tap the icons underneath the emoji menu to move to another category if you’d rather not scroll through all the options.
- Once you’ve found the emoji you want, just tap it, and it will be added to the text field. If you change your mind, you can delete the emoji as you would any other text.
How to Replace Words with Emojis
There’s an even easier way to use emojis in the Messages app; your iPhone offers suggestions of words that can be replaced with emojis.
- Type your message in the text field, then tap the smiley face to open the emoji keyboard.
- Some of the words in your message will turn orange; tap one or more of the words and an emoji will appear in place of the text.
How to Use Predictive Emojis
Your iPhone will also offer emoji options as you type, sometimes more than one option! Remember when you toggled on Predictive a few minutes ago? Here’s where that setting comes in handy.
- Start typing in the text field, keeping an eye on the predictive text suggestions under the text box.
- When you type a word that can be replaced by an emoji, you’ll see one or more suggestions to the right of the predictive text suggestions.
- Tap one of your options to replace a word with an emoji.
- If you would rather have the emoji follow the word, tap the space bar and then tap the emoji suggestion.
You can replace multiple words in each message with emojis, the only limit being how annoyed the recipient may become from all this cuteness.
However some of the emoji codes are not super easy to remember, so here is a little cheat sheet.
✈ Got a modern browser or Flash enabled? Click the emoji code and it will be copied to your clipboard.
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People
Nature
Objects
Places
Symbols
Campfire also supports a few sounds
Your simple emoji cheat sheet tutorial
Emojis and social media
Emojis enhance just about any user experience. They always have a place, from casual social media use to top level inbound marketing strategies.
It doesn’t matter if you’re part of a design team communicating with a different department, a social media manager for your business, or anything in between. Emojis help convey tone and intent, both of which are frequently lost in translation when communicating online.
There are now entire generations that grew up and are growing up with emojis as a given. Emojis are no longer stylistic extras that you can ignore, but instead are an integral part of how many online users communicate every single day. Spend a few minutes clicking around Facebook or Twitter if you’re still skeptical! You won’t be able to scroll more than a page without seeing emojis aplenty.
So next time you’re considering a social media overhaul or searching for a brand new angle with your online marketing campaigns, find the perfect emoji here on our emoji cheat sheet!
Emoji cheat sheet FAQ
Q: What platforms support the codes found on the emoji cheat sheet?
A: At the top of this page, you’ll find a list of platforms that support these emoji codes!
Q: How do I copy the emoji code?
A: Simply click the emoji code and it’ll automatically be copied to your clipboard! From there, you can paste it into your supported platform of choice to send your emoji!
Q: Can I search for a specific emoji?
A: Yup! You can find the “instant search” bar at the top right of this page!
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