How do you add emoji with iPhone dictation?

Say the emoji's name in the middle of a sentence. While Dictation is running on iPhone, saying "heart emoji" inserts a heart at that point in the text. Apple says that in some languages you can insert emoji by voice while dictating ¹, and the English (United States) language is on Apple's list of languages with the Dictate Emoji feature ². If the feature does not work in your language, the rest of this page will not help you, because no wording fixes a missing language.

Say the emoji's name while Dictation is on

Dictation must be on first. Open Settings, tap General, tap Keyboard, and turn on Enable Dictation ³. Then dictate as normal:

1. Tap a text field and start Dictation from the keyboard.
2. Speak the sentence, and say the emoji's name where you want it. For example: "See you at the game heart emoji."
3. Check the text. The emoji appears where you said its name.

Apple's dictation page says to add an emoji by saying its name, with examples such as "heart emoji" and "smiley face emoji" ⁴. Apple's command list uses a different form for some entries, such as "Smiley emoji" ⁵. Both forms appear on Apple's pages, so if one wording does not work, try the other.

Apple's list is a set of examples, not a full list

The iPhone command page gives 20 example emoji commands, running from "Smiley emoji" to "Present emoji" ⁵. Apple presents them as examples, so the list is not complete. An emoji that is missing from the examples may still work, and an emoji that is in the list may not work in your language.

Apple's command page shows the result of each emoji command as an image, not as text, so this guide does not say which symbol each command inserts. Speak a test phrase, look at the result, and keep the names that work for you. The iPhone dictation commands guide lists more of the commands Apple documents.

The same spoken emoji works differently on each platform

The phrase you say is not the same on every device. Compare the three platforms below before you assume a name from one will work on another.

The common pattern is the emoji's name followed by the word "emoji". On iPhone, Apple's examples follow the same shape, so "heart emoji" and "smiley face emoji" are the forms to try first.

When an emoji does not appear, check three things

Work through these in order. Most problems come from the first one.

• Language. Emoji by voice applies only in some languages ¹. If your keyboard language is not on Apple's list, change the language or type the emoji by hand.
• Setting. Dictation has to be on, as shown above. A phone with Dictation off will not turn your words into emoji at all.
• Wording. Say the name clearly, with a short pause before "emoji". Try the other form of the name from Apple's examples. Then dictate the same name in a short test message to see whether the problem is the emoji or the sentence around it.

If none of these work, dictate the sentence without the emoji and add the emoji by hand with the keyboard at the place you want it.

What to do

1. Turn on Enable Dictation and confirm that your keyboard language is in Apple's list.
2. Dictate a test sentence with one emoji name, such as "heart emoji", and check the text.
3. If it fails, try the other form of the name, such as "smiley face emoji", in the same test.
4. Keep the names that work, and use them for the rest of your dictation.

For the spoken marks and the other commands that work on the same phone, read how to dictate punctuation on iPhone. If the words come out wrong, read how to delete words with iPhone dictation. For the general concept, see the glossary entry on dictation. The overview of dictation on phones and tablets lists the other phone guides.