The fastest way to add an emoji
To add an emoji on your iPhone, tap the emoji keyboard button while typing in any app — it looks like a smiley face. On most iPhones, this button sits to the left of the space bar. Tap it once and your keyboard switches to show emoji options organized by category: smileys, animals, food, activities, travel, objects, symbols, and flags.
Tap the emoji you want, and it inserts into your message or text field. To go back to your regular keyboard, tap the globe icon (or ABC button on older models) at the bottom left. You can switch between emoji and text keyboards as many times as you need while composing a single message.
Key Takeaways
- The emoji keyboard button is the smiley face icon to the left of the space bar in any typing field.
- Emojis are organized into eight categories that you can swipe between at the bottom of the emoji keyboard.
- You can search for a specific emoji by typing its name in the search field at the top of the emoji keyboard.
- Skin tone variations appear when you hold down on most face and hand emojis — tap and hold to see your options.
- Recent emojis appear in the first category tab, so frequently used ones are faster to find next time.
Finding emojis by category
The emoji keyboard divides emojis into eight sections, each with its own icon at the bottom. Tap any icon to jump to that category: the smiley face shows expressions and faces, the animal head shows creatures, the hamburger shows food and drink, the lightbulb shows activities, the airplane shows travel and places, the lightbulb shows objects, the heart shows symbols, and the flag shows country flags.
Within each category, emojis are grouped by type. Swipe left and right within a category to see more options. The first tab shows your recently used emojis, which makes it faster to find ones you type often.
Searching for a specific emoji by name
If you know what emoji you want but do not want to hunt through categories, use the search field. At the top of the emoji keyboard, you will see a search box. Tap it and type the name of what you are looking for — try "heart", "fire", "laugh", "thumbs", or "party".
As you type, the keyboard shows matching emojis below the search box. This method is much faster than scrolling through categories if you have a specific emoji in mind. The search understands common names, so "happy face" and "smiley" both work.
Adding skin tone variations to face and hand emojis
Many face and hand emojis come in five skin tone options. To see them, hold your finger down on any face or hand emoji — a small menu pops up showing the available skin tones. Tap the one you want, and it replaces the original emoji in your message.
Once you choose a skin tone for an emoji, your iPhone remembers that choice. The next time you use that emoji, it defaults to the skin tone you selected. If you want to change it back, hold down on the emoji again and pick a different tone.
Using emoji combinations and skin tone modifiers
Some emojis can be combined to create new meanings. For example, the waving hand emoji plus a skin tone creates a waving hand in that skin tone. Other combinations, like family emojis, let you choose different skin tones for each person in the group.
When you hold down on a combination emoji, you will see options to customize each part separately. This works the same way as single emojis — tap and hold, then select your preferred variation from the menu that appears.
Accessing emoji settings and keyboard preferences
You can customize which keyboards appear on your iPhone, including whether the emoji keyboard shows up. Go to Settings, then Keyboard, then Keyboards. Tap "Add New Keyboard" to see all available keyboards, or tap "Edit" to remove ones you do not use.
The emoji keyboard comes pre-installed on all iPhones, so you do not need to download anything. If the emoji button is missing from your keyboard, check that the emoji keyboard is enabled in Settings. You can also add other language keyboards here if you type in multiple languages.
Typing emojis on older iPhone models
On iPhone 5s and earlier, the emoji keyboard works the same way, but the button to switch keyboards may look different. Instead of a globe icon, you might see "ABC" or a different symbol. Tap it to return to your text keyboard after selecting an emoji.
Older iPhones support fewer emoji variations and may not show all the newest emojis that newer models display. If an emoji appears as a blank box or question mark, your iPhone model does not support that particular emoji yet. Updating to the latest iOS version adds support for newer emojis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the emoji keyboard button not showing on my iPhone?
The emoji keyboard may be hidden if you have removed it from your keyboard settings. Go to Settings, Keyboard, Keyboards, and check that "Emoji" is listed. If it is not there, tap "Add New Keyboard" and select Emoji from the list.
Can I use emojis in all apps on my iPhone?
Yes, you can use emojis anywhere you can type text — in Messages, Mail, Notes, social media apps, search fields, and most other apps. The emoji keyboard works the same way across all of them. Some apps may have their own emoji pickers, but the standard iPhone keyboard always works.
How do I find an emoji if I do not know its exact name?
Try typing a related word in the emoji search box. For example, searching "happy" shows smiling faces, "love" shows hearts, and "party" shows celebration emojis. The search is flexible and shows results for common descriptions, not just exact emoji names.
Do emoji skin tones work the same way on all iPhones?
Yes, all iPhones that support skin tone variations use the same hold-and-tap method. Older iPhone models may not support skin tones on all emojis, but the ones that do work the same way as newer models.
What happens if someone sends me an emoji my iPhone does not support?
Unsupported emojis usually appear as a blank box or a question mark in a box. This happens when an emoji is too new for your iPhone model or iOS version. Updating to the latest iOS version adds support for newer emojis.