Apple finally did it. For years, we’ve been stuck with the standard Unicode set, waiting for a committee in some boardroom to decide if we deserve a "melting face" or a "goose." Now, with the rollout of Apple Intelligence, the game has changed entirely. If you want to know how to make custom emojis iOS 18 offers, you’re looking for a feature called Genmoji. It’s not just a sticker. It’s not a Memoji. It’s a generative AI tool baked right into the keyboard that builds brand-new characters based on whatever weird prompt you type in.
Honestly, it feels like the Wild West of texting.
The Reality of How to Make Custom Emojis iOS 18 Uses
Most people think "custom emoji" and assume they’ll be drawing pixels. Nope. That’s too much work for a Tuesday morning text. Apple’s approach uses their on-device language models to take a text description—say, "a squirrel wearing sunglasses riding a surfboard"—and turn it into a tiny piece of art that looks exactly like a standard emoji.
It’s integrated. That’s the key.
You aren't opening a separate app, saving a photo to your camera roll, and then attaching it as a bloated JPEG. You’re staying inside the Messages app. The "keyboard" essentially becomes a canvas. When you pull up the emoji picker, there’s a new interface specifically for Genmoji. You type. Apple generates. You pick the one that doesn't look cursed.
There is a catch, though. Because these aren't part of the official Unicode Standard—the global rules for how characters look on every phone—they behave a bit differently. On an iPhone running iOS 18.2 or later, they look like real emojis. They sit inline with your text. On an older Android or an un-updated Mac? They might just show up as a small image attachment or a "question mark box" if the software hasn't been updated to handle Apple's rich-text implementation. It's a bit of a walled garden situation, but for those inside the garden, it's seamless.
Why Your Phone Might Not Do This Yet
You might be digging through your settings right now wondering why you can’t see the Genmoji button. Here’s the blunt truth: Apple Intelligence has strict hardware requirements. You need an iPhone 15 Pro, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any of the iPhone 16 models. If you’re rocking an iPhone 14 or a base-model 15, you’re basically out of luck for the AI-generated stuff.
Also, check your version. The initial launch of iOS 18 didn't include Genmoji. It arrived with the iOS 18.2 developer and public betas. You’ve gotta be on the cutting edge.
To get started, you open the Emoji keyboard and look for the search bar. There’s a "Create New Emoji" button or icon that triggers the prompt box. You just describe what you want. "A disco ball made of pizza." "An anxious cat wearing a tiny crown." The system gives you a few variations. You can swipe through them like you’re on a dating app until you find the one that perfectly captures your current mood.
Customizing Based on People
One of the coolest—and slightly creepy—parts of how to make custom emojis iOS 18 works is the ability to use your Photos library. If you have people tagged in your Photos app (like your best friend or your partner), you can tell Genmoji to make an emoji of them.
"Make an emoji of [Friend's Name] as a superhero."
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The AI looks at their face, stylizes it into the classic Apple emoji aesthetic, and puts them in a cape. It’s a massive step up from Memoji. Memoji always felt a little bit like a Wii character—generic and slightly plastic. Genmoji feels more like a personalized sticker that actually belongs in a professional chat or a casual roast.
The Technical Wizardry Under the Hood
Apple is using a diffusion model that runs locally on the A17 Pro or A18 chips. This is important for privacy. Your prompt about wanting a "toilet paper roll on fire" isn't being sent to a server in some warehouse; it’s being crunched by the Neural Engine in your pocket.
It uses something called "inline image" data. In the past, if you sent an image in a text, it broke the line of text. It looked like:
Text
[IMAGE]
Text
With iOS 18, Genmoji uses a new type of data delivery that allows the system to treat the AI image as if it were a character. It flows with the sentence. This is why it feels so much more "real" than the custom stickers we’ve had since iOS 17.
Limitations and the "Safety" Rails
Don't expect to make anything offensive. Apple has been notoriously conservative with their AI guardrails. If you try to generate something violent, overly sexual, or involving copyrighted characters that aren't allowed, the system will just give you a "cannot complete request" vibe.
Also, they are currently limited to the Messages app and some parts of the OS like Stickers and Reactions. You can't necessarily export these as a .ttf font file and use them in Microsoft Word on a PC. They are designed for the Apple ecosystem.
Another thing to keep in mind: storage. While these look like small emojis, they are technically small image files. If you use thousands of them, they are taking up more metadata than a standard "A" or "B." It's negligible for most, but it's a difference in how the data is handled.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If the Genmoji option is grayed out:
- Ensure Apple Intelligence is actually turned on in your settings.
- Check your internet connection (even though it's on-device, it often needs a handshake for the initial setup).
- Make sure you aren't in "Low Power Mode," which sometimes throttles the Neural Engine.
Beyond the Basics: Making it Look Good
The trick to a good custom emoji is brevity. If you type a paragraph into the Genmoji prompt, the AI gets confused. It tries to pack too much detail into a tiny 64x64 pixel space.
Keep it simple. Use two nouns and an adjective.
"Neon blue octopus."
"Grumpy toasted marshmallow."
If you don't like the first batch, don't just give up. Use the "refine" option. You can tweak the prompt. Add "more sparkle" or "change the color to green." The iterative process is actually pretty fun once you get the hang of the Apple Intelligence "logic."
The Future of the Keyboard
We are moving toward a world where the "standard" emoji set is just a starting point. Eventually, the idea of a fixed library of icons will feel as dated as clip art. How to make custom emojis iOS 18 is the first step toward a completely dynamic language. Imagine a group chat where every single person has their own personalized set of reactions that no one else has.
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It changes the way we communicate. It adds nuance. Instead of using the "heart eyes" for the millionth time, you can send a "heart eyes but specifically because I'm looking at a taco" emoji. It's specific. It's weird. It's very "2026."
Actionable Next Steps
If you’re ready to stop using the same old icons, here is what you need to do right now:
- Update your hardware check: Verify you have an iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16 model. Older phones can receive Genmojis, but they cannot create them.
- Install iOS 18.2: Go to Settings > General > Software Update. If 18.2 isn't available to the general public yet, you may need to enroll in the Public Beta at beta.apple.com.
- Enable Apple Intelligence: Navigate to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri. Join the waitlist if prompted (it usually clears within an hour).
- Open Messages: Start a new thread, tap the plus (+) icon, select the Emoji keyboard, and tap the "New Emoji" icon to start your first prompt.
- Test Compatibility: Send your creation to a friend who also has an iPhone on iOS 18 to ensure the inline rendering is working correctly. If they are on an older version, ask them what they see so you understand the "fallback" experience.