How to Update Emoji on an iPhone

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 23, 2020 Tested

This wikiHow teaches how to update the emoji selection on your iPhone by updating your system software, which emoji updates are tied to.

10 Second Version

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Software Update.
4. Tap Download and Install.
5. Wait while your iPhone installs the system update.
6. Select your new emoji characters from your emoji keyboard.

Steps

1
Plug your iPhone into a charger. When installing system updates, it's best to ensure that your iPhone will keep a full charge.
2
Connect to a wireless network. You'll want to be connected to a wireless network before installing any system updates, as they can be quite large and will eat through limited data plans quickly.
3
Open your iPhone's Settings. You can find the Settings app on one of your Home screens. It may be located in a folder labeled "Utilities."
4
Scroll down and tap General.
5
Tap Software Update.
6
Tap Download and Install if an update is available. If there is no update available, you'll see the "Your software is up to date" message.
- If your device is up to date, you have the most recent emoji updates available.
- Older iOS devices will not get the newer system, and therefore emoji, updates. For example, the iPhone 4S is no longer receiving system updates, and will not get emoji characters released after iOS 9.3.5.
7
Wait for your update to download and install. This could take anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour, depending on your connection speed and the size of the update.
- Your iPhone will reboot during the installation process and the Apple logo will display as it is being installed.
8
Open an app that uses your keyboard. Once the update has been installed, you can check for your new emoji characters by opening your keyboard.
9
Tap the emoji button. You'll see this when the keyboard is open on your screen, to the left of the space bar. It looks like a smiley face.
- If you have multiple keyboards installed, you may need to press and hold the Globe button to select "Emoji."
- If you're not seeing the emoji keyboard, you may need to enable it. Tap Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard → Emoji.
10
Find your new characters. It may not be immediately apparent which characters are new, as they are not highlighted anywhere. You'll find the new characters mixed in with the old ones in their respective categories.

Community Q&A

Question

What if I don't get the emojis?

Community Answer

It depends on the type of phone you have. if you have an older phone, chances are that you have stopped receiving software updates from Apple. If you have a newer phone, check for an update and update your phone. If you updated your phone and saw no changes, chances are the update failed and you will have to redo it.
Question

I have an iPhone 5 that is fully updated, but sometimes when my friends send me an emoji it appears as a question mark. What should I do?

Community Answer

The iPhone 5 is an older model, and what may be a fully updated phone for you might not include the newest emojis on the newer phones.
Question

Will it work if I have an iPhone 6?

Community Answer

It should. I have an iPhone 6 and these strategies work for me. I have the newest emojis. Try it and see if it works.
Question

What do I do if I get an error when updating Emoji on my iPhone?

Community Answer

Try it again. Make sure that your iPhone is plugged in. If you can’t fix it, then call Apple for more details.
Question

Does the Emoji update delete anything on my iPhone?

Community Answer

No, it only adds to your iPhone. If anything is deleted, check your recently deleted file and get them back.
Question

What do I do if my iPhone says there's no update when there is?

Community Answer

It could be a glitch. Try restarting the phone. However, there could just be no update.
Question

Why does it show me a box and a question mark?

G-Bros

Community Answer

It might be that you can’t load the emoji. It is a Unicode symbol for glitched symbols.