How to utilize Apple’s Genmoji to create modern types of emoji

For decades, emoji selection was constrained to what was available on a smartphone keyboard. Every year brings modern emojis – I like ‘face with bags under the eyes”, although this one is still developing. However, there are times when the pre-installed options just aren’t detailed enough. Fortunately, Apple has a solution and it’s called Genmoji.

With Apple Intelligence, you can generate your own emoji directly from your keyboard, using text suggestions or even a photo of the person from your Photos library. I’ve outlined all the steps for creating your own Genmoji below.

Check out our iOS 18 roundup for a complete list of all the key features of Apple’s latest operating system. Also be sure to check out our other Apple guides, including the best iPhones, the best iPhone 16 accessories, and the best iPads.

Turn on Apple Intelligence

Before we get started, make sure you have access to Apple Intelligence. It launched with iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, but Genmoji was launched specifically with iOS 18.2. To check the software version, go to Settings > General > About. You can start if it says iOS 18.2 or later. If you want to update, please backup your device first.

If you still can’t access Genmoji, make sure Apple Intelligence is turned on (it should be by default). Go to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri and turn on Apple Intelligence. It’s worth noting that Apple Intelligence is only available on select iPhones iPhone 16 range, iPhone 15 ProAND iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Enter the prompt

1. With the Messages window open, tap the emoji icon (smiley face) or keyboard icon (ball) to access the emoji keyboard.
2. In the upper right corner of the keyboard, tap the button Genmoji icon (pink and blue smiley with plus sign).
3. Type a few words or phrase in the text box that describes what you’re looking for and tap Done.
4. Swipe over the filled Genmojis and tap To add on the one you want to utilize. It will then appear in your emoticons and stickers drawer.
5. You can also create Genmoji from people’s photos in the Photos app. Start by typing a suggestion, for example “Julian is celebrating a birthday”, tap “Pick a Person” from the displayed contact list and select a specific person. From there, you’ll see different Genmojis population based on the prompt. Obtain To add when you find the one you want to utilize.

Customize your Genmoji

You can also customize the original prompt to create modern versions of the original Genmoji.

1. In the Genmoji window, tap the text box.
2. Enter a revised version of the prompt or a completely modern version. For example, instead of “dog with birthday hat,” you could change it to “dog with birthday cake.” It will then automatically repopulate with modern versions.