iPhone | iOS 6.0.2 | How to Activate the EMOJI Keyboard

For most of us, we got our first iPhone, and the only keyboard we've ever seen is the standard Alphanumeric keyboard that everyone has. We never knew there was anything more. 

  

Now, occasionally you'll get a text message from a friend that's got one of those really cool pictures on it, and you wonder, “how did he do that?” Which is exactly what I did when my brother-in-law sent me a text with a beer mug at the end of it. So I went on my quest for the information. The step-by-step tutorial is below.

When your normal keyboard configuration is active, it looks like the picture below.

Go to “Settings”

“General”

Scroll down and choose “Keyboard”

Then scroll down again (if needed) and choose “Keyboards”

You'll see a screen with two options (pictured below)

Click on “Add New Keyboard...”

Scroll down until you see “EMOJI” in the list and click on it.

You will be taken back to the previous screen, and the EMOJI keyboard has been added to the list.

Now when you open up the text messaging app, look to the bottom left of the keyboard (next to the numbers button). You'll see a globe.

When you click on the globe you'll have 5 different collections to choose from of these fun little EMOJI icons. Just click on them and they are added directly to the text.

But there is a 5th collection directly next to the globe.  This is the "Recently Used" collection.  Any of the EMOJI's that you've most recently and most often used will be in the list.

   

And just to alleviate any of your worries, “Yes” when you send a text to someone who does not use an iPhone (although I don't know why they wouldn't be) the recipient WILL be able to see the cute little picture you just sent. I have tested this with my wife's phone (she has a Galaxy SIII which obviously runs Android). So fear not.

Enjoy!