Apple has launched iOS 18.2, and with it comes some of the big features of Apple Intelligence that the company teased way back at WWDC 2024, including custom emoji dubbed Genmoji.
Genmoji is essentially what it says on the tin; a custom emoji created by generative AI that you can use to better express yourself in online conversations. The best part? You can be as creative as you want, with no limit on the number of Genmoji you can create and use on your iPhone.
If you want to create your own custom emoji on your iPhone, here’s how to do it.
What you’ll need:
- An iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence
- The iOS 18.2 update
- An internet connection
The Short Version
- Tap the Emoji icon on your keyboard.
- Tap the new Genmoji icon to the right of the search bar.
- Describe the Genmoji you’d like to create.
- Select the Genmoji you like and tap Add in the top-right
- Access your Genmoji via the Emoji keyboard.
Step
1Tap the Emoji icon on your keyboard
To create a Genmoji, you first have to access the Emoji section of your keyboard. You can easily do this by tapping the Emoji icon in the bottom left corner whenever your keyboard is active.
Step
2Tap the new Genmoji icon to the right of the search bar
If you’re running the iOS 18.2 update, you’ll see a new Genmoji icon appear on the right-hand side of the emoji search bar. Tap that to create your own custom emoji.
Step
3Describe the Genmoji you’d like to create
From here, simply describe what you’d like the custom emoji to look like. You can be as simple or detailed as you’d like, and when you’re ready, tap Done to generate options.
Step
4Select the Genmoji you like and tap Add in the top-right
You’ll be presented with an ever-growing list of custom Genmoji based on your description. Swipe left and right to browse through the complete collection to see which is best for your needs.
Once you’ve found the Genmoji you want to use in chats, simply tap Add in the top-right corner. This not only inserts the chosen Genmoji into your chat but also saves it for future use.Step
5Access your Genmoji via the Emoji keyboard
If you want to access your Genmoji creations at a later date, simply navigate to the Stickers section of the Emoji keyboard. All your custom emoji, along with any other image-based Stickers you’ve created, can be found right here.
Troubleshooting
You need to verify that you’re running the iOS 18.2 update and that your iPhone supports Apple Intelligence. For reference, only the iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 collection can power Apple’s GenAI tech.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
