How to Edit Your Memoji on iPhone and iPad
Memoji are Apple's personalized animated avatars — expressive, customizable characters that reflect your appearance, mood, or personality. Whether you want to update your hairstyle, tweak your skin tone, or add a new accessory, editing a Memoji takes just a few taps. But the exact steps, available options, and how well your Memoji performs across apps all depend on a few important variables worth understanding before you dive in.
What Is a Memoji and Where Does It Live?
A Memoji is a custom character you create on Apple devices. It's stored in your device's keyboard and syncs through iCloud across your Apple devices. Memoji can be used as stickers in Messages, as your Apple ID photo, in FaceTime, and in supported third-party apps.
Memoji are distinct from Animoji (fixed animal and character avatars) and from your Apple ID profile photo, though you can use a Memoji as either.
They're available on:
- iPhone with Face ID (iPhone X or later) for full animated Memoji features
- iPhone SE (2nd generation and later) and iPad models for sticker-based Memoji without full face-tracking animation
- iOS 13 / iPadOS 13 or later is required to create and edit Memoji
How to Edit a Memoji on iPhone or iPad
Opening the Memoji Editor
- Open the Messages app
- Start a new conversation or open an existing one
- Tap the App Store icon (or the plus icon on newer iOS versions) next to the text field
- Select the Memoji Stickers option (the icon that looks like a cartoon face)
- Tap the three-dot menu (⋯) on the Memoji you want to edit
- Select Edit
Alternatively, on some iOS versions:
- Go to Settings → [Your Name] → Apple ID photo and edit from there if your Memoji is set as your profile image
- Access Memoji directly through the emoji keyboard by tapping the sticker icon
What You Can Edit
Once inside the Memoji editor, you'll find a full set of customization categories. Each tab along the bottom controls a different feature group:
| Category | What You Can Customize |
|---|---|
| Skin | Tone, freckles, beauty spots, cheek blush |
| Hairstyle | Length, texture, color (including highlights) |
| Brows | Shape, thickness, color |
| Eyes | Shape, color, lashes, eyeliner |
| Head | Face shape, chin, age lines |
| Nose & Lips | Nose shape, lip color and fullness |
| Ears | Size, shape, hearing aids, earrings |
| Facial Hair | Beard and mustache styles and colors |
| Eyewear | Glasses and sunglasses styles, tint, frame color |
| Headwear | Hats, helmets, crowns, and more |
| Accessibility | Cochlear implants, oxygen tubes, soft helmet |
Tap any category, swipe through options, and tap to select. Changes preview in real time on the animated face at the top of the screen. When you're done, tap Done to save.
Variables That Affect Your Editing Experience 🎨
Not every user encounters the same Memoji editor. Several factors shape what you see and what's available:
iOS version is the biggest variable. Apple adds new customization options with major iOS releases. For example, iOS 15 introduced additional accessibility features, and later versions expanded headwear and hairstyle options. If your editor looks different from tutorials you've seen online, a software update may unlock additional categories.
Device model affects animated Memoji capabilities. On Face ID iPhones, your Memoji mirrors your real facial expressions in FaceTime and Messages — blinking, raising eyebrows, opening your mouth. On non-Face ID iPhones and most iPads, Memoji work as stickers only, without live face-tracking. The editing experience is the same, but how the finished Memoji behaves in apps differs significantly.
iCloud sync determines whether your Memoji appears consistently across devices. If you edit a Memoji on your iPhone but don't see the update on your iPad, confirm that both devices are signed into the same Apple ID and that iCloud sync is enabled.
Third-party app support varies widely. Some apps fully support Memoji stickers and animated avatars; others don't integrate with Apple's Memoji system at all. What your Memoji can do outside of Apple's own apps depends entirely on individual developer implementation.
Editing Multiple Memoji and Managing Your Collection
You can create and store multiple Memoji — for example, one casual character and one that more closely resembles your actual appearance. To switch between them in the sticker picker, simply scroll horizontally through your saved Memoji.
To delete a Memoji, open the sticker panel in Messages, tap the three-dot menu on the character, and select Delete. This cannot be undone.
To duplicate a Memoji as a starting point for a variation, use the Duplicate option from the same menu — useful if you want to experiment without losing your original.
When Edits Don't Save or Sync Correctly
If changes to your Memoji aren't saving, a few common causes are worth checking:
- Low storage on the device can occasionally prevent saves — check under Settings → General → iPhone Storage
- iCloud issues may delay sync; toggling iCloud off and back on can prompt a fresh sync
- Software bugs in older iOS versions are occasionally patched in point releases — updating iOS often resolves persistent editor glitches
The Part That Varies by User
The editing process itself is consistent across supported devices, but how much the result matters — and which customization features are worth exploring — depends heavily on how you actually use Memoji. Someone who uses Memoji as a profile photo across Apple services has different priorities than someone primarily using them as reaction stickers in group chats or relying on animated face-tracking in FaceTime calls.
The options available to you, and which ones are most useful, come down to your device, your iOS version, and where Memoji fits into your day-to-day communication style. 🙂