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iOS quick tips: How to enable and use the Emoji keyboard

Last updated

Apple's iOS is a powerful mobile operating system, but many of its most productive features are hidden or simply not well known. With this iOS Quick Tip, AppleInsider shows users how to enable and use the built-in emoji keyboard.

Enable and use the emoji keyboard

Add Emoji keyboard

What it is: Emoji are a wide-ranging set of text messaging emoticons originally developed by Japanese mobile carrier SoftBank. Turning the emoji keyboard on previously required downloading a third-party app or jailbreaking your device, but Apple now allows anyone to add it with a simple settings change.

How to activate it:

  1. Navigate to SettingsGeneralKeyboardKeyboards
  2. Tap "Add New Keyboard..."
  3. Select "Emoji" from the list

Note: You can also add additional keyboards from the "International" settings screen.

How to use it:

Use emoji keyboard

You can switch to emoji entry using the globe icon in the lower-left hand corner of the keyboard. Tapping the globe will cycle between the enabled keyboards, while holding it down will pop up a list to select from.



13 Comments

zenwaves 18 Years · 94 comments

10 train emojis, 1 rocket ship .... and not a single f'ing motorcycle. Doesn't anyone in Cupertino have a pair?

snova 14 Years · 1277 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by zenwaves 

10 train emojis, 1 rocket ship .... and not a single f'ing motorcycle.

Doesn't anyone in Cupertino have a pair?

its not up to Apple.  As I understand it these are just maps to unicode.   Get "motorcycle" assigned to a unicode value first.

 

http://apps.timwhitlock.info/emoji/tables/unicode

zenwaves 18 Years · 94 comments

Didn't know that - thanks. At least there's a surfing emoji ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by snova 
 

its not up to Apple.  As I understand it these are just maps to unicode.   Get "motorcycle" assigned to a unicode value first.

 

http://apps.timwhitlock.info/emoji/tables/unicode

silver shadow 11 Years · 340 comments

I had no idea this was available and I've been using iPads and iPhones since 2010. Whoever at Appleinsider Staff decided to share this, I thank you. I knew there was a legit reason for viewing this site.

roundaboutnow 14 Years · 763 comments

Just be aware that if you choose yet another keyboard (to have another language in addition to your first language), you have to be careful when switching back and forth from the Emoji keyboard. A few times I was typing English on the Dutch keyboard without knowing it, and boy, did the auto-correction look completely bonkers!