Ever been mid-conversation and realized the perfect emoji for your response... doesn't exist? Maybe you need a taco wearing a birthday hat. Or a dinosaur surfing. Or literally anything specific that Apple's standard emoji library doesn't cover.
That's where Genmoji comes in. It's Apple's AI-powered custom emoji generator built right into your keyboard. Type a description, wait a few seconds, and boom—you've got a personalized emoji that's actually relevant to what you're trying to say.
I've created probably 100+ Genmoji since iOS 18.2 launched. Some are genuinely useful for conversations. Others are just ridiculous creations I made because I could. ("Octopus playing drums" was completely unnecessary but absolutely worth it.) This guide covers everything from setup to creative prompt writing, so you can start making your own weird, wonderful, perfectly-specific emojis.
Genmoji requires iOS 18.2 or later on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model. For Mac, you need macOS Sequoia 15.2 with Apple Silicon (M1 or newer).
After updating, request access through Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri, or through the emoji keyboard when prompted. Wait times vary—mine took about 8 hours. Once approved, the Genmoji option appears in your emoji keyboard.
What Exactly Is Genmoji?
Genmoji combines "generative AI" and "emoji" into one feature. Unlike Memoji (which creates avatars of your face) or Animoji (those animated animal faces), Genmoji generates entirely new emojis based on text descriptions you provide.
Type "cat wearing sunglasses" and you'll get multiple versions of exactly that. The emojis work inline with text just like regular Unicode emojis, but they're unique creations that only exist because you described them.
How It's Different from Regular Emoji
Standard emojis are part of the Unicode Consortium's official emoji set. Everyone sees the same emoji regardless of device (though styling varies between platforms). Genmoji are custom-generated images that look like emojis but aren't part of any standard set.
Other iPhone users on iOS 18.2+ see Genmoji inline with text. Users on older iOS versions or Android see them as image attachments. Still works, just displays differently.
Why You'd Actually Use This
Reactions to specific situations that don't have existing emojis. Inside jokes with friends that need visual representation. Celebrating obscure things (National Pickle Day? There's probably not an emoji for that, but you can make one). Adding personality to messages in ways standard emoji can't.
Is it essential? No. Is it fun and occasionally useful? Absolutely.
Creating Genmoji on iPhone
The iPhone experience is where Genmoji shines. Integrated directly into the emoji keyboard, it's fast and seamless once you understand the workflow.
- Open Messages (or any text app)
- Tap text field to bring up keyboard
- Tap emoji button (smiley face)
- Tap "Genmoji" at top-right
- Type your description (e.g., "dog wearing a detective hat")
- Wait for generation and swipe through options
- Tap "Add" to insert
- Open Genmoji interface
- Tap "Concepts" at bottom
- Tap the person icon
- Select a person from your People album
- Choose which photo to use as base
- Optionally tap "Edit" to customize appearance
- Add description (e.g., "wearing a chef's hat")
- Generate and select version
- After generating, tap the three-dot menu (•••)
- Select "Add to Stickers"
- Access later via emoji keyboard → sticker icon
Using Genmoji as Tapbacks
Tapbacks are those quick reactions you add to messages (heart, thumbs up, etc.). Genmoji work as tapbacks too:
- Long press on any message in a conversation
- Tap the Tapback option
- Scroll past the standard reactions
- Select a Genmoji you've created or tap "+" to make a new one
- The Genmoji appears as a reaction to that specific message
Way more expressive than generic reactions. Someone shares good news? Hit them with a custom celebratory Genmoji that actually relates to their situation.
Creating Genmoji on Mac
Mac experience is nearly identical to iPhone, just adapted for keyboard and mouse input instead of touch.
- Click in any text field
- Press Control + Command + Space
- Click "Genmoji" in emoji picker
- Type description and generate
- Click left/right arrows to browse
- Click Genmoji to insert
Mac-Specific Tips
- Genmoji picker stays open until you click elsewhere, making it easy to add multiple Genmoji in succession
- You can drag and drop Genmoji from the picker into apps (though not all apps support this)
- Recent Genmoji appear in the standard emoji "Frequently Used" section
- Saved Genmoji sync across your Apple devices via iCloud (but can take a few minutes)
Writing Effective Prompts
Genmoji generation quality depends heavily on how you describe what you want. Some prompts produce perfect results first try. Others require experimentation.
What Creates Good Results
- Simple, concrete descriptions: "Cat wearing sunglasses" works better than "feline with fashionable eyewear."
- Action + object/character: "Dog playing piano" or "Bear eating honey" give the AI clear direction.
- Use suggested concepts: Browse through the themes, costumes, accessories, and places Apple provides. They're optimized to work well.
- Combine existing emoji with descriptions: You can tap a regular emoji then add description like "wearing a hat" to modify it.
- Keep it under 7 elements: Subject + action + accessory + location = plenty. More than that and results get messy.
Prompt Examples That Work
Celebrations: "Birthday cake with sparkles" / "Party popper with confetti"
Reactions: "Shocked face with hands on cheeks" / "Face palm moment"
Animals doing things: "Sloth wearing business suit" / "Penguin on skateboard"
Food combinations: "Taco wearing sunglasses" / "Pizza slice dancing"
Occupation-specific: "Chef with tall hat holding spoon" / "Astronaut floating"
Seasonal: "Snowman with scarf" / "Pumpkin with happy face"
Creating Genmoji of Real People
The ability to create Genmoji based on photos of actual people is both the coolest and most unpredictable feature.
How It Works
Genmoji can generate cartoon-style versions of people in your Photos app—but only faces you've identified in the People album. The AI analyzes the photo you select, captures the person's likeness, then generates an emoji-style version.
Different base photos produce wildly different results. A photo with good lighting and clear facial features generates better likenesses than poorly lit or angled shots.
Customization Options
After selecting a person, you can customize their appearance by changing hairstyle, facial hair, or eyewear through the "Customize Appearance" menu. This helps if the AI captured their face but got the hair wrong, or they're wearing glasses in the photo but you want them without.
Only create Genmoji of people who've given permission. Just because you have someone's photo doesn't mean you should turn them into emojis without asking. All generation happens on-device—photos never leave your iPhone or Mac.
Practical Uses Beyond Fun
Genmoji might seem like pure novelty, but I've found legitimate practical applications:
- Workplace: Company logo emoji or celebrating milestones.
- Events: Personalized invites for weddings or birthdays.
- Education: Subject-specific emoji like "microscope" or "telescope".
- Branding: Unique emoji for content creators.
- Inside Jokes: Visualizing moments only friends understand.
Common Issues
Option missing? Verify iOS 18.2+ and Apple Intelligence enabled.
Still waiting? Try signing out/in to Apple ID or restarting. Contact Support if >1 week.
Bad likeness? Try different photos with better lighting.
Can't find people? Ensure they are tagged in Photos > People album.
Sending as image? Recipients need iOS 18.2+ for inline display.
Delete? Open emoji keyboard → Stickers → long press → Delete.
Final Thoughts
Genmoji won't revolutionize communication. It's not trying to. What it does—and does surprisingly well—is fill the gap between standard emoji (limited options) and stickers/images (too formal or time-consuming).
The feature succeeds because Apple integrated it seamlessly into the emoji keyboard. No separate app to open. No export/import process. Just type, generate, use. The friction is low enough that you'll actually use it instead of giving up and choosing a close-enough regular emoji.
Give it a few days of experimentation. Try different prompts, play with concepts, create Genmoji of your friends (with their permission). Some will become regulars in your messaging. Others you'll use once and never again. That's fine—having the option matters more than using it constantly.