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How to use animoji on Apple's iPhone X

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One of the unique features enabled by Apple's TrueDepth camera on the iPhone X is animoji — animated emoji — based on your real-life head and mouth movements.

The option is exclusive to iOS 11 Messages, and will launch with the iPhone X this Friday as an iMessage app.

By default you'll see tabs for different characters on the left, but you can swipe up on the app pane to show a bigger gallery. Some options include a dog, a pig, a unicorn, a robot, an alien, and the infamous poo emoji.

To create a static sticker, all users have to do is make a facial expression then drag the animoji into chat.

It's also possible to record a short animation. Hit the red circle button from anywhere in the app, and Messages will start capturing both movements and mic input. Note that it's probably best to limit this to quiet spaces, where your voice will come through loud and clear.

With a clip in the hopper, you're presented with two new buttons: a blue up-arrow icon to send, and trash can icon to scrap it and start over. The animation is delivered as a video, making it accessible on devices other than an iPhone X.

For more details on the iPhone X, check out the replay of AppleInsider's live hands-on Q&A.

Watch the Latest from AppleInsider TV

5 Comments

libertyforall 17 Years · 1417 comments

Needs the ability to use Animojis during FaceTime video calls!!!

miky_tara 8 Years · 1 comment

Hello, does it work only with the face saved for Face ID? Thank you

1 Like · 0 Dislikes
ihatescreennames 20 Years · 2002 comments

Needs the ability to use Animojis during FaceTime video calls!!!

If Snapchat can add masks to your face I don’t see why FaceTime couldn’t do something similar. 

Remember when it was possible to put the different backgrounds in your iChat videos? It seems like a similar thing could be done more effectively with the TrueDepth camera. Look what Apple can do with Portrait Lighting Effects. Is it a huge jump to move that to video and put in some animated backgrounds?

vadimyuryev 8 Years · 169 comments

miky_tara said:
Hello, does it work only with the face saved for Face ID? Thank you

Works with any face. Not sure how it works if there are 2 faces next to each other. 

1 Like · 0 Dislikes
macky the macky 16 Years · 4801 comments


The animation is delivered as a video, making it accessible on devices other than an iPhone X.

This answered an important question in my mind!