iOS 26 Genmoji — How to Create Custom Emoji

Genmoji in iOS 26 lets you create custom AI-generated emoji from text descriptions. Access: emoji keyboard > tap the star icon at the bottom (or long-press any emoji) > describe what you want > Genmoji appears.

Creating a Genmoji

• Open any text input on iPhone.
• Tap the emoji button to open the emoji keyboard.
• Tap the sparkle/star icon at the bottom left.
• Type a description: "a golden retriever wearing sunglasses" or "a cartoon taco at a concert."
• Genmoji generates several options in seconds.
• Tap to use inline in your message or long-press to save to your emoji library.

Genmoji from Photos

You can also create a Genmoji based on a person in your photos: in the description field, tap the image icon and select a face from your Photos library. iOS 26 creates an emoji likeness of that person in various expressions.

Where You Can Use Genmoji

Genmoji work in Messages, Mail, and any app that supports emoji input. They appear inline in messages and can be used as stickers in Messages conversations.

On-Device Processing

Genmoji generation uses Apple Foundation Models running on-device. No description or photo data is sent to Apple’s servers. Generation takes 2-5 seconds on A17 Pro and A18 chips.

Notes for Content Creators

Genmoji provides unique, one-of-a-kind visuals for content. For note-takers: Genmoji can be used as visual labels or tags in Notes (paste a Genmoji at the start of a note as a visual category marker). In Nemos, custom emoji can be included in note titles for visual identification.

Building a Custom Visual Language

Genmoji enables a personal visual vocabulary that doesn't exist in the standard emoji set. For knowledge workers who use emoji as visual markers in notes: the standard set is limited to generic concepts. Genmoji expands this with specificity.

Examples: a Genmoji of your specific dog as an emotional indicator, a custom character for a recurring project theme, a unique visual marker for a client or collaborator. These custom emoji become meaningful shorthand in your note system.

In Nemos: paste Genmoji into text notes as visual separators or markers. Voice notes don't display emoji, but text captures and note annotations support them. The Genmoji appears in the capture alongside your text.

Saved Genmoji appear in the emoji keyboard's Recents section. For frequently-used custom emoji: access them there without re-generating each time.