Where to find and change your emoji keyboard
Your emoji keyboard is built into your iPhone's keyboard system. To change which emojis appear or how they are organized, you go through Settings, not through the keyboard itself. The process takes about two minutes and works the same way on all recent iPhone models.
Open Settings, then tap General, then Keyboard. From there you can add new emoji keyboards, remove ones you don't use, and reorder them so your favorite appears first. If you want to change the skin tone of a specific emoji before you send it, that happens in the moment — you hold your finger on the emoji in your keyboard and a menu of tone options appears.
Key Takeaways
- To add or remove emoji keyboards, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, then tap Edit.
- Holding your finger on any emoji in the keyboard menu shows skin tone and style variations you can choose from before sending.
- You can reorder your keyboards so emoji appears first, second, or lower in your list depending on how often you use it.
- Emoji is always available on iPhone — you cannot delete it entirely, but you can move it to the bottom of your keyboard list.
Adding a new emoji keyboard or language variant
If you want emoji in a different language or style, or if emoji disappeared from your keyboard list, you can add it back. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, then tap the blue Add Keyboard button at the bottom. A list appears showing Emoji and other language options.
Tap Emoji to add it. If you already have one emoji keyboard and want a second one for a different language, you can add multiple — each will appear as a separate option when you switch keyboards. This is useful if you use both English and another language on your phone and want emoji available in both.
Reordering your keyboards so emoji comes first
By default, your main language keyboard (usually English) appears first when you type, and emoji sits further down the list. If you use emoji constantly, you can move it higher so fewer taps are needed to reach it.
Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, then tap Edit in the upper left. A list of your keyboards appears with three horizontal lines next to each one. Press and hold those lines next to Emoji and drag it upward to the position you want. Tap Done when you finish. Now when you switch keyboards, emoji will appear sooner in the rotation.
Changing individual emoji appearance before you send them
Once your emoji keyboard is open, you can customize how specific emojis look. For emojis that have skin tone options — like hands, faces, and people — hold your finger on the emoji for about one second. A menu pops up showing different skin tone choices.
Tap the tone you want, and that emoji will send with that appearance. The next time you use that same emoji, it will default to the tone you chose last, so you do not have to select it again. This works for any emoji with variations, including some hand gestures and family groupings.
Removing emoji from your keyboard list
If you never use emoji and want it off your keyboard list entirely, you can remove it. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, tap Edit, then tap the red minus sign next to Emoji. Tap Delete to confirm.
You can add it back anytime by following the steps in the "Adding a new emoji keyboard" section above. Removing it does not delete any emojis you have already sent — it only removes the keyboard from your typing options.
Troubleshooting when emoji keyboard is missing or not working
If your emoji keyboard has disappeared or stopped responding, the fastest fix is to add it back. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add Keyboard, then select Emoji. If that does not work, restart your iPhone by holding the power button and swiping to power off, then turning it back on.
If emoji still does not appear after restart, check that you have enough storage space on your phone — go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see how much is free. If storage is very low, delete some apps or photos, then try adding emoji again. On rare occasions, a full backup and restore through a computer fixes keyboard problems that nothing else resolves.
Using emoji search to find what you need faster
Instead of scrolling through categories, you can search for emoji by typing a word. Open your emoji keyboard and look for the magnifying glass icon at the bottom. Tap it, then type what you are looking for — "heart", "animal", "food", "sad" — and matching emojis appear when ready.
This is much faster than flipping through the categories, especially if you use the same few emojis regularly. The search remembers your most-used emojis and shows them at the top of the results, so your favorites appear first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the color of emoji on my iPhone?
No. Emoji colors are set by Apple and cannot be changed. You can only choose skin tones for emojis that offer them. If you want a different color palette, you would need to use a third-party keyboard app from the App Store, though most people find the built-in emoji sufficient.
Why did my emoji keyboard disappear?
It was likely removed by accident or disabled in Settings. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards and tap Add Keyboard, then select Emoji. If it is already listed there, make sure it is not toggled off — tap Edit and check that the green toggle next to Emoji is on.
Can I use emoji from other apps or websites?
You can copy and paste emoji from websites or other apps into your messages, but you cannot change your iPhone's built-in emoji set. The emoji keyboard is controlled by Apple's system and cannot be replaced with a custom set without using a third-party keyboard app.
How do I undo a skin tone change I made to an emoji?
Hold your finger on that emoji again and select the yellow default skin tone (usually the first option in the menu). The next time you use it, it will go back to the default. You can change it back and forth as many times as you want.