What Genmoji actually is and why you'd want to share it
Genmoji is Apple's AI tool that creates custom emoji on the fly — you describe what you want (a cat wearing sunglasses, a pizza slice doing yoga) and your iPhone generates it. The feature lives in the emoji keyboard on iPhones running iOS 18.1 or later. You can't add people to Genmoji itself the way you'd add someone to a group chat, but you can share the emoji you create with other people through Messages, Mail, or any app that accepts emoji.
The confusion usually comes from the word "add" — people think there's a collaborative feature where multiple people contribute to making emoji together. There isn't. What you're actually doing is sending a Genmoji you made to someone else, or showing them how to make their own on their device.
Key Takeaways
- Genmoji is a feature on iOS 18.1 and later that generates custom emoji based on text descriptions you type.
- You cannot invite other people into Genmoji or create emoji together — each person generates their own on their own device.
- To share a Genmoji you made, long-press it in the emoji keyboard and select "Copy" or "Send", then paste it into Messages or another app.
- Other people can see and use the Genmoji you send them, but they cannot edit it — they can only save it or send it to others.
- If someone wants to make their own version of your Genmoji, they need to describe it to their own iPhone's Genmoji generator.
How to find and open Genmoji on your iPhone
Open any app where you can type — Messages, Mail, Notes, or a text field in a web browser. Tap the emoji keyboard button (usually a smiley face icon at the bottom of your screen). At the top of the emoji panel, you'll see a "+" symbol or a star icon labeled "Create". Tap that to open the Genmoji generator.
If you don't see the "+" or "Create" button, your iPhone either isn't running iOS 18.1 or later, or Genmoji hasn't been turned on in your settings. Go to Settings > General > Apple Intelligence and make sure Genmoji is toggled on. You'll also need enough storage space and an active internet connection, since the generation happens on Apple's servers.
Creating a Genmoji and sending it to someone
Once you're in the Genmoji generator, type a description of what you want — be specific. "A dog" is vague; "a golden retriever wearing a chef's hat" gives you better results. Tap the generate button and wait a few seconds. Your iPhone will show you the emoji it created. If you don't like it, tap the refresh icon to generate a new version based on the same description.
When you have one you want to send, long-press it and select "Copy". Then go to Messages, Mail, or any other app and paste it into the message or document. The person receiving it will see the emoji exactly as you created it. They can copy it, save it to their own emoji library, or send it to someone else.
What happens when someone receives your Genmoji
When you send a Genmoji through Messages or email, the other person sees it as a regular emoji in the conversation. They can tap and hold it to copy it, add it to their favorites, or send it to someone else. If their iPhone also has iOS 18.1 or later, they can save it to their Genmoji library so it appears in their emoji keyboard for future use.
The person who receives it cannot edit or modify the Genmoji you created. If they want a slightly different version — say, the same character but with a different expression — they have to go into their own Genmoji generator and describe the new version from scratch. This is why Genmoji isn't really a collaborative tool: each person generates independently on their own device.
Saving Genmoji you create so you can use them again
After you generate a Genmoji, tap the heart icon to add it to your favorites. This saves it in your emoji keyboard so you can find it quickly next time without regenerating it. Your saved Genmoji appear in a dedicated section at the top of your emoji panel, usually marked with a star or heart icon.
These saved emoji are stored on your device only — they don't sync across your other Apple devices the way regular emoji do. If you want to use the same Genmoji on your iPad or Mac, you'll need to either regenerate it on that device or send it to yourself through Messages and save it there too.
Why you might think you're "adding people" to Genmoji
The confusion usually happens because Genmoji sounds like it could be a shared space or a collaborative app, similar to how you add people to a group chat or a shared Notes document. It isn't. There's no way to invite someone into a Genmoji session, no shared workspace, and no way for multiple people to contribute to a single emoji.
If you and a friend both want the same custom emoji, you each generate it independently on your own iPhone. You can describe it to them ("make a cat wearing a tiny hat") and they can type that into their Genmoji generator, or you can send them the one you made and they can save it. But the creation process itself is always individual.
Troubleshooting: Genmoji not showing up or not working
If you don't see the Genmoji option in your emoji keyboard, check three things: your iPhone is running iOS 18.1 or later (go to Settings > General > About to see your version), Genmoji is turned on in Settings > General > Apple Intelligence, and you have a working internet connection. Genmoji requires an active connection because the generation happens on Apple's servers, not on your phone.
If Genmoji is on but generating is slow or failing, try closing the app you're in and reopening it, or restart your iPhone. If you're getting error messages, check your internet speed — a weak connection can cause timeouts. Apple's servers occasionally experience high demand, especially when the feature is new, so if nothing else works, wait a few minutes and try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit a Genmoji after I create it?
No. Once generated, a Genmoji is fixed. If you want a different version, you regenerate it by refreshing in the Genmoji creator, or you create a new one with a different description. You cannot adjust colors, size, expression, or any other detail after the initial generation.
If I send someone a Genmoji, can they change it?
No. When you send a Genmoji to someone, they receive it as-is. They can save it, copy it, or send it to others, but they cannot edit it. If they want a modified version, they need to create a new Genmoji with a different description.
Do Genmoji work on Android phones?
No. Genmoji is an Apple-only feature available on iPhones, iPads, and Macs running iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS Sequoia or later. Android users cannot create or view Genmoji, though they can see them if you send them through Messages or email — they'll just appear as images rather than as interactive emoji.
Will my Genmoji sync to my iPad or Mac?
Saved Genmoji do not automatically sync across devices. If you create a Genmoji on your iPhone, it won't appear in your iPad's emoji keyboard. You can regenerate it on your other devices by typing the same description into their Genmoji generators, or send it to yourself through Messages and save it there.
What if the Genmoji I create looks nothing like what I described?
Be more specific in your description. Instead of "a dog", try "a brown dachshund sitting down with its tongue out". The more detail you give, the better the results. If you still don't like it, tap the refresh button to generate another version based on the same description, or try rewording your description and generating again.