✨Apple Intelligence
Genmoji — How to Make Your Own
Custom Emoji on iPhone
Updated April 2026
8 min read
iOS 26 · Complete guide
Genmoji is Apple’s AI-powered custom emoji creator — and with iOS 26, it’s better than ever. This is the complete beginner’s guide to making your own Genmoji, the best prompts to try, what works on other platforms, and how it compares to regular emoji.
What Is Genmoji?
Genmoji is Apple’s AI-powered custom emoji creator, built directly into the iPhone keyboard as part of Apple Intelligence. Instead of being limited to the standard Unicode emoji set, Genmoji lets you describe any emoji you want in plain English and Apple’s AI generates it instantly — in the same visual style as Apple’s native emoji library.
You can create anything from “a golden retriever wearing a cowboy hat” to “a tired office worker surrounded by coffee cups” — or create an emoji of an actual person using photos from your library. The result looks and behaves like a real emoji: it sits inline with text, scales correctly, and can be used as a Tapback reaction in Messages.
Genmoji was first introduced in iOS 18.2 (December 2024) and was significantly expanded in iOS 26 — including the ability to combine up to seven elements in a single Genmoji and improved generation quality across all prompts.
✦
Genmoji vs regular emoji — the key difference
Regular Unicode emoji (like the ones on
SymbolNow) are standardised characters that work on every device and platform. Genmoji are AI-generated images that only work natively in Apple apps — they appear as stickers on non-Apple platforms. Both have their place.
How to Create a Genmoji — Step by Step
Creating your first Genmoji takes about 10 seconds once you know where to find the feature.
1
Make sure Apple Intelligence is enabled
Go to Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri and make sure Apple Intelligence is turned on. Genmoji requires Apple Intelligence — if you don’t see the toggle, your device may not support it.
⚠️ Genmoji is only available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 or later, iPad with M1 or later, and Mac with M1 or later. It also requires iOS 18.2 minimum (iOS 26 for the best experience).
2
Open any app with a text field
Genmoji works in Messages, Mail, Notes, WhatsApp, Telegram, and virtually any app that uses the iOS keyboard. Open a conversation or text field and tap to bring up the keyboard.
3
Open the emoji keyboard, then tap Genmoji
Tap the emoji icon (smiley face) on your keyboard to open the emoji picker. In the top-right corner of the emoji keyboard, tap the Genmoji button — it looks like a sparkle ✨ next to a smiley face. This opens the Genmoji creation panel.
4
Describe your emoji in the text field
Type what you want your Genmoji to look like. Be specific but concise — “a sleepy cat holding coffee” works better than just “cat”. You can also browse concept suggestions (themes, expressions, accessories) by swiping left.
💡 In iOS 26, you can combine up to seven elements — for example tap the 😊 smiley concept + “cowboy hat” + “sunglasses” to layer multiple elements into one Genmoji.
5
Swipe through variants and add your favourite
Apple generates multiple versions. Swipe left and right through the preview bubble to see different interpretations of your prompt. When you find the one you like, tap Add (top right) to save it to your emoji keyboard permanently.
6
Use your Genmoji like any other emoji
Your saved Genmoji appears in the emoji keyboard alongside your regular emoji. Tap it to insert it inline in messages, share it as a sticker, or use it as a Tapback reaction in Messages by long-pressing any message.
Best Genmoji Prompts to Try Right Now
The quality of your Genmoji depends heavily on the prompt. These prompts consistently produce great results — click any to copy it.
Animals
“a sleepy panda drinking coffee”
Classic combo — relatable and expressive
Click to copy prompt
Animals
“a golden retriever wearing sunglasses”
Universally loved, great for friend groups
Click to copy prompt
Fantasy
“a wizard casting a spell with sparkles”
Magical energy for any conversation
Click to copy prompt
Work humour
“a stressed person surrounded by laptops and coffee”
The work-from-home experience in one emoji
Click to copy prompt
Celebrations
“a tiny dinosaur in a party hat”
Perfect for birthdays and celebrations
Click to copy prompt
Wholesome
“a cat sitting in a tiny cup of tea”
Cosy and cute — highly shareable
Click to copy prompt
Vibes
“a happy sun wearing headphones”
Great summer / good mood emoji
Click to copy prompt
Relatable
“a brain on fire reading a book”
Perfect for study sessions and learning
Click to copy prompt
Tips for better Genmoji prompts
Be specific about the subject and one or two details. “A cat” gives a generic result. “A chubby grey cat with sleepy eyes holding a mug” gives something expressive and unique.
Include an emotion or expression. Genmoji excels at expressing mood — adding “happy,” “confused,” “tired,” or “excited” makes the result much more usable as a reaction emoji.
Keep it to 8–12 words. Very long prompts can confuse the generation. If a prompt isn’t working, try removing the least important detail and regenerating.
Try adjusting one word at a time. If the result is close but not quite right, changing a single descriptive word often produces a noticeably different outcome without starting over.
How to Create a Genmoji of a Real Person
One of Genmoji’s most impressive features is creating an emoji based on a person’s face using a photo from your library. This is great for inside jokes, personalised reactions, and making your friend group chat feel uniquely yours.
1
Open Genmoji and start a prompt
Open the Genmoji creator as normal (emoji keyboard → Genmoji button).
2
Type a description that includes the person
Type something like “Tim wearing a top hat” or “Sarah as a superhero” — using the person’s name or just describing a character.
3
Tap the photo icon to select their face
Below the prompt field, you’ll see a suggested list of people from your Photos app (based on your People albums). Tap one to use their face as the base for the Genmoji. Apple processes the photo on-device for privacy.
💡 The person needs to appear in your Photos app with face recognition enabled for them to show as a suggestion. Go to the Photos app → Albums → People & Pets to check.
4
Generate and customise appearance
After generating, tap the pencil icon to edit hairstyle, facial hair, and eyewear. You can also choose a different starting photo by tapping “Choose Other Photo.”
⚠️
Always ask before creating a Genmoji of someone else
Creating and sharing Genmoji based on other people’s faces without their knowledge can feel invasive — especially if sent in group chats they’re part of. Apple processes photos on-device for privacy, but always use this feature respectfully.
How to Share and Use Your Genmoji
Once created, Genmoji behave like regular emoji within Apple’s ecosystem — but there are important limitations to understand when sharing outside of it.
In Apple Messages: Genmoji appear inline with text at emoji size, scale correctly, and can be used as Tapback reactions. They look and feel native — this is the best Genmoji experience.
In iMessage to another iPhone: Genmoji are shared as native emoji-like images that display correctly. The recipient can long-press to save the Genmoji and even see the prompt used to create it.
In WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram: Genmoji are sent as image stickers — they work, but appear as a large image rather than inline emoji. Platforms are gradually adding better support.
On Android: The recipient sees the Genmoji as a sticker image. The visual quality is preserved, but it doesn’t function as a keyboard emoji on their end.
How to save a Genmoji someone sent you
In Apple Messages, long-press any Genmoji someone has sent you. Tap “Emoji Details” to see the prompt that was used to create it. Tap the download icon to save it to your own emoji keyboard. Saved Genmoji appear in your Stickers section for easy reuse.
Genmoji vs Regular Emoji — Which Should You Use?
They’re complementary, not competing. Here’s when each one is the right choice:
✓ Use regular emoji when
→You need it to work on every platform and device
→The other person is on Android or Windows
→You’re posting on social media (Instagram, Twitter, TikTok)
→You need it to render inline in text on web pages
→Speed matters — one tap vs generating
✓ Use Genmoji when
→You’re messaging within Apple’s ecosystem (iMessage)
→No standard emoji captures what you want to express
→You want to create an inside joke emoji for a group chat
→Creating an emoji of a person for Tapback reactions
→Making personalised sticker content
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Genmoji free?
Yes — Genmoji is a free feature of Apple Intelligence, which comes built into supported iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. There is no subscription or additional cost. Apple Intelligence itself is free and included in iOS 18.2 and later on compatible devices.
Can other people see my Genmoji if they’re on Android?
Yes, but it appears as a sticker image rather than a native emoji. The visual is preserved — they’ll see your custom design — but it won’t behave like an emoji on their keyboard or work as a Tapback reaction.
Does Genmoji work in the EU?
Yes — Apple Intelligence (including Genmoji) became available in the EU with iOS 18.4 (March 2025). If you’re in the EU and running iOS 18.4 or later on a supported device, you have full access to Genmoji.
Can I use Genmoji in Instagram or TikTok captions?
Not directly as inline emoji — Genmoji paste as image stickers in third-party apps. For Instagram captions, TikTok bios, and social media text that needs to work everywhere, use standard Unicode emoji from SymbolNow’s emoji library — these copy and paste as text characters that work on every platform.
Why can’t I find the Genmoji button?
The most common causes are: (1) your device doesn’t support Apple Intelligence (requires iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 or later), (2) Apple Intelligence isn’t enabled in Settings, or (3) you’re not on iOS 18.2 or later. Check Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri to troubleshoot.
