Where your custom emojis live and why you might want to remove them

Your iPhone stores custom emojis — the ones you create or receive from others — separately from the standard emoji keyboard. These appear in your emoji keyboard under the "Recents" tab and in a dedicated custom section. Unlike deleting a text message, removing a custom emoji requires you to go into your keyboard settings, not your Messages app.

You might want to delete a custom emoji because you no longer use it, because it takes up space in your keyboard (making your frequently used emojis harder to find), or because you received one from someone and prefer not to keep it. The process is straightforward once you know where to look.

Key Takeaways

  • Custom emojis are stored in your iPhone's keyboard settings, not in Messages or Photos, so you delete them from Settings, not from those apps.
  • You can delete one custom emoji at a time by opening the emoji keyboard, finding the emoji, and tapping and holding it until a delete option appears.
  • Memoji (the animated face emojis you create) are deleted from the Memoji app or Camera app, not from the emoji keyboard itself.
  • Deleting a custom emoji from your phone does not delete it from conversations where you already used it — those messages stay the same.

Delete a custom emoji from your keyboard

Open any app where you can type — Messages, Notes, Mail, or any text field. Tap the emoji button (the smiley face icon) at the bottom of your keyboard to open the emoji picker. Swipe left through the emoji categories until you reach the section labeled with a clock or marked "Recents" — this is where your custom emojis appear.

Find the custom emoji you want to remove. Press and hold your finger on it for about two seconds. A menu will appear with a trash icon or a "Remove" option. Tap it. The emoji disappears from your keyboard when ready.

If you do not see a delete option when you press and hold, the emoji may be a standard Apple emoji rather than a custom one — those cannot be removed from the keyboard. Only emojis you created or received as custom stickers can be deleted this way.

Delete Memoji you created

Memoji are the animated face emojis you design to look like you or someone else. They live in a separate location from regular custom emojis. Open the Camera app and tap the face icon at the bottom right (or swipe left to the Memoji section). You will see all the Memoji you have created as a row of faces.

Press and hold the Memoji you want to delete. A menu appears with options including "Delete." Tap it. The Memoji is removed from your phone and will no longer appear in your emoji keyboard.

Alternatively, open the Memoji app directly (if you have iOS 17 or later) and press and hold the Memoji you want to remove, then select "Delete" from the menu that appears.

What happens to messages after you delete an emoji

When you delete a custom emoji from your keyboard, any messages where you already sent that emoji remain unchanged. The emoji still appears in those old conversations exactly as it did before. Deleting only removes it from your keyboard so you cannot send it again — it does not erase it from your message history.

If someone else created the custom emoji and sent it to you, deleting it from your keyboard removes it from your keyboard only. The person who created it still has it on their phone, and if they send it to you again, it will reappear in your keyboard.

Why a custom emoji might not delete

If you press and hold an emoji and no delete option appears, it is likely a standard Apple emoji that comes built into iOS. These cannot be removed from the keyboard — Apple does not allow deletion of the default emoji set. Only custom emojis you created yourself or received from others can be deleted.

If you are trying to delete a Memoji and the delete option does not appear, make sure you are in the Camera app or Memoji app, not the regular emoji keyboard. Memoji are managed separately from custom sticker emojis and require a different deletion method.

Clearing out your emoji keyboard to reduce clutter

If you have accumulated many custom emojis and your keyboard feels crowded, you can delete them one at a time using the method above. There is no bulk delete option — you must remove each emoji individually by pressing and holding it.

As you delete emojis, your "Recents" section will shrink, and your most frequently used standard emojis will become easier to find. If you find yourself constantly scrolling past custom emojis you never use, spending a few minutes deleting them can speed up your typing in the long run.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo deleting a custom emoji?

No, once you delete a custom emoji from your keyboard, it is gone. If you created it yourself, you would need to recreate it. If someone sent it to you, you would need them to send it again for it to reappear in your keyboard.

Will deleting an emoji remove it from my iCloud backup?

Custom emojis are not backed up to iCloud in the way photos or messages are. Deleting a custom emoji removes it from your phone, and it will not reappear if you restore from a backup. Memoji are synced across your Apple devices if you use iCloud, so deleting a Memoji on one device removes it from all devices signed into the same Apple ID.

Why do I see custom emojis I did not create?

Custom emojis can be sent to you through Messages or other apps. When someone sends you a custom emoji, it automatically gets added to your keyboard so you can send it back. You can delete any custom emoji you receive using the same press-and-hold method.

Can I delete all my Memoji at once?

No, you must delete each Memoji individually by pressing and holding it in the Camera app or Memoji app and selecting "Delete." There is no option to delete multiple Memoji at the same time.