The fastest way to add emojis on iPhone

To add an emoji on your iPhone, tap the globe icon on your keyboard while you are typing, or tap the smiley-face icon if your keyboard shows one. Your emoji keyboard will open. Scroll through the categories at the bottom — smileys, animals, food, activities, travel, objects, symbols — and tap the emoji you want. It appears in your message or text field right away.

If you do not see a globe or smiley icon, swipe left on your keyboard's bottom row until you find it. On newer iPhones, you may also see a search icon (magnifying glass) at the top of the emoji keyboard. Tap it and type what you are looking for — "heart", "fire", "thumbs" — and the matching emojis appear when ready.

The emoji keyboard stays open until you tap the ABC button to return to letters, or until you finish your message and send it. You can switch between emojis and letters as many times as you want in a single message.

Key Takeaways

  • Tap the globe or smiley-face icon on your keyboard to open the emoji menu while typing any message or text field.
  • Emojis are organized into categories at the bottom of the keyboard — swipe through them or use the search icon to find what you need.
  • You can switch between the emoji keyboard and the letter keyboard as many times as you want in one message.
  • Recently used emojis appear in the first category, so your most common ones are always straightforward to find.
  • Emoji availability depends on your iOS version, so some newer emojis may not appear on older iPhone models.

Where the emoji keyboard button is located

The globe or smiley-face icon sits on the bottom row of your keyboard, usually on the left side next to the space bar. On iPhones with Face ID (iPhone X and newer), it is typically the second key from the left. On iPhones with a home button, it may be in a slightly different position, but it is always on the bottom row.

If you cannot find it, swipe left on the bottom row of keys. The emoji keyboard button may be hidden to the right of the visible keys. Keep swiping until you see the globe or smiley icon appear.

Once you tap it, the entire keyboard changes to show emojis instead of letters. The ABC button appears in the same spot where the emoji button was, so you can switch back just as easily.

How to search for a specific emoji

The search feature is the fastest way to find an emoji if you know what you want. Look for the magnifying glass icon at the top of the emoji keyboard. Tap it and type the word you are looking for — "smile", "fire", "party", "love" — and matching emojis appear below.

Search works for feelings, objects, and concepts. If you want a thumbs-up, type "thumbs". If you want a birthday cake, type "cake". The results update as you type, so you usually find what you need after just a few letters.

If the search does not return what you expected, try a different word. "Happy" and "smile" may show different results, and "heart" shows more options than "love".

Using emoji categories to browse

Below the emoji grid, you will see small icons representing different categories. From left to right, they usually show: a clock (recent), a smiley face (smileys and emotions), an animal (animals), a leaf (nature), a fork and knife (food and drink), a basketball (activities), a plane (travel and places), a lightbulb (objects), and a symbol (symbols).

Tap any category icon to jump to that section. The recent category shows emojis you have used before, so your favorites are always one tap away. If you use the same emoji often, it will stay near the top of the recent list.

Swipe left and right within the emoji grid to see more options in the current category. Some categories like smileys and food have many pages of choices.

Adding skin tone variations to emojis

Many emojis that show people or hands have skin tone options. When you tap and hold one of these emojis, a small menu appears showing different skin tones. Tap the one you want, and that version is inserted into your message.

The skin tone you choose is remembered for future use. If you select a light skin tone for a waving hand, the next time you tap the waving hand emoji, it will default to that same tone — though you can always tap and hold again to change it.

Not all emojis have skin tone options. Only those showing people, hands, or body parts will show the tone menu when you tap and hold.

Combining emojis into sequences

Some emojis can be combined to create new ones. A yellow face plus a heart creates a face with heart eyes. A person plus a heart plus another person creates a couple emoji. Your iPhone recognizes these combinations automatically and may show the combined version as a suggestion.

You do not have to do anything special — just add the emojis one after another, and iOS will display them as a single combined emoji if that combination exists. If you want to keep them separate, you can, but the combined version usually appears first in your recent list.

Not every combination works. Your iPhone only recognizes official emoji sequences that Apple has defined. Experimenting is part of the fun, but most random combinations will just show as separate emojis.

Troubleshooting when the emoji keyboard will not appear

If tapping the globe icon does not open the emoji keyboard, first check that you have the keyboard enabled in your settings. Go to Settings, then Keyboards, and make sure the emoji keyboard is listed and toggled on.

If it is already on, try closing and reopening the app you are typing in. Sometimes the keyboard gets stuck and needs to refresh. Close the app completely by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, wait a few seconds, then open it again.

If the emoji button is missing entirely from your keyboard, you may have accidentally deleted the emoji keyboard. Go to Settings, Keyboards, Add New Keyboard, and select Emoji from the list. It will reappear on your keyboard when ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use emojis in all apps on my iPhone?

Yes, the emoji keyboard works in any app where you can type text — Messages, Mail, Notes, social media apps, search bars, and most others. The emoji button appears on the keyboard in all of these places. Some apps may have their own emoji pickers, but the standard keyboard method works everywhere.

Why do some emojis look different on my iPhone than on my friend's Android phone?

Apple designs its own emoji artwork, and Android phones use different designs. The same emoji code produces different pictures depending on the device. A smiley face looks slightly different on iPhone than on Samsung or Google phones, but both devices understand it as the same emoji.

How do I delete an emoji from my recent list?

Tap and hold an emoji in your recent category, then tap the X or trash icon that appears. It will be removed from your recent list, though you can still find it in its original category. Recently used emojis reappear in the recent list once you use them again.

Can I create custom emojis on iPhone?

You cannot create entirely new emojis, but you can use Memoji — Apple's customizable avatar feature. Open the emoji keyboard, tap the smiley face category, and look for the Memoji option. You can design a character that looks like you and use it in messages and FaceTime calls.

Do I need internet to use emojis?

No, emojis work completely offline. The emoji keyboard is built into your iPhone and does not require a connection to the internet. You can type and send emojis in any app, whether you are connected or not.