Finding the Right Emoji Can Be Difficult, but It’s Easy With These Apps.
Apple is looking to add even more emoji to iOS in its latest update . This means there will be more options to choose from (including new food like dumplings and pie), but it also means you have to scroll through even more emoji to find the one you really want.
Truth be told, Apple doesn’t allow you to quickly find a specific emoji. Of course, there is a “Frequently Used” tab, which shows the most frequently used emoticons. The Messages app will even suggest emojis based on the words you write, but if you’re just scrolling through the pages, finding the perfect little cartoon image for your message can be a real challenge. Fortunately, there are several third-party apps that make this task easy.
Use Gboard to quickly find the emoji you want
Gboard , Google’s keyboard app for iOS and Android, is one of the best options. It offers built-in access to Google search and fast swipe typing. It also lets you search for emojis by entering a description if you’re having trouble tracking one of them.
Just open Gboard in any app and click the emoji button (it looks like an emoji). You will see the usual endless rows of emojis with a search bar right above them. Click on it, enter what you are looking for and Gboard will show you all the relevant emoji. Then just pick the one you want.
Organize your favorite emojis with Fixmoji or EmoKey Joe
If you really want instant access to your favorite emojis, there are several other keyboard apps you should consider. Fixmoji and EmoKey Joe let you create your own emoji list, and both cost $ 0.99 but take slightly different approaches in their design.
Fixmoji offers clean customization with a particular focus on emoji. Pick the ones you need and arrange them on the grid. Then, when you write a message, open the Fixmoji keyboard and you will have instant access to your favorite emojis.
EmoKey Joe is a little faster – or noisier, depending on your preference. Like Fixmoji, it lets you organize and access your favorite emojis using a third-party keyboard, but it also includes other options like stickers, GIFs, and video clips. You can even use the app to create new sticker images. This is great if you need quick access to many different types of media, but if you really care about emojis this is not the app for you.
Apple already lets you organize your favorite emojis on Mac
Finding the right emoji in the Apple Messages app can be tricky, but it’s surprisingly easy on your Mac. MacOS’s built-in emoji picker has a search bar and lets you create a personalized list of your favorite emojis.
To get started, simply launch the Mac emoji menu (Control + Command + Space) and click the little button in the upper right corner. A new menu will open where you can select any emoticon and save it by clicking “Add to favorites”.
After you’ve added a few emoticons, you can click Favorites in the left column to see if it worked. Then press the upper right button again to return to the regular emoji selection menu. You should see a new line with your favorite emojis right below the frequently used options.
Given that you can do this on a Mac, I don’t really understand why Apple doesn’t offer the same option for iOS. Hopefully by the time iOS 12 arrives, we’ll have the favorite emoji feature built in, but there are plenty of third-party apps out there that can do the same today.