Create a custom Genmoji of a friend or pet for your next message

Confirm Apple Intelligence is switched on

Open the Settings app (the gray gear icon on your home screen), then scroll down and tap Apple Intelligence & Siri. Make sure the toggle at the top says Apple Intelligence is on. If it asks you to wait in a queue, that just means your phone is still downloading the model — leave it plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi for a bit.

If you don't see Apple Intelligence & Siri in Settings, your iPhone or iOS version doesn't support the feature yet, and the rest of this guide won't work for you.

You'll know it worked when the toggle is green and the screen says Apple Intelligence is ready.

Open Messages and tap into the text field

Open the Messages app (the green speech bubble icon). Tap the conversation you want to send to, or start a new one with the pencil-and-paper icon in the top-right corner. Then tap inside the message box at the bottom of the screen so the keyboard slides up.

You'll know it worked when the gray message box has a blue cursor blinking inside it and the regular letters keyboard is visible.

Switch to the emoji keyboard

On the keyboard, find the smiley-face icon — usually bottom-left, sometimes to the right of the spacebar. Tap it once. The letters disappear and you're now in the emoji panel.

If your phone shows a globe 🌐 instead of a smiley, tap the smiley anyway; if that doesn't work, look for an emoji or smiley tab inside the keyboard's bottom row of icons. You'll know it worked when you see rows of colorful emoji instead of letters.

Find the Genmoji button

At the top of the emoji panel, look for a small icon that looks like a smiley with a plus sign (+) or a sparkle — Apple has changed this look between iOS versions, so it may also appear as a button labeled Genmoji or Create. Tap it.

If you don't see anything like that, swipe left on the row of category icons (clock, smileys, animals, food, activities) — Genmoji sometimes hides at the end. You'll know it worked when a new screen appears with a text box that says something like "Describe a Genmoji".

Switch to the "Person" option for a friend's face

At the top of the Genmoji screen, look for two tabs or options: one for typing a description, and one for choosing a person from your photos. Tap the person/photo option. Your Photos library will open, and you'll see a row of faces Apple has recognized in your pictures. Tap the face of the friend you want to turn into a Genmoji.

If you don't see a "Person" option, your iOS version may not include that exact flow — in that case, skip to Step 6 and type a description of your friend instead.

You'll know it worked when the Genmoji screen shows your friend's face as a small preview on the left or top of the screen.

Add a description (and how to handle pets)

With a person selected, type a short description of what you want them doing or wearing in the Genmoji. This is also the place to come for pets, because there's no "Person" option for them — you just type what they look like and Apple generates a stylized version.

Keep the description short — one short sentence works best. Apple usually makes several options for you to swipe through.

You'll know it worked when a few generated Genmoji appear in a row on the screen, usually taking a second or two to appear.

Pick your favorite and add it to the message

Swipe through the generated Genmoji and tap the one you like. Then look for a button like Add or simply tap the Genmoji itself — it should jump straight into your message box. Add any words around it, then tap the blue send arrow to deliver it.

If the Genmoji comes out as a sticker-style image instead of an inline emoji, long-press it in the message bubble to peel it off and drag it onto a different message — or just leave it as a sticker; the recipient can react to it. You'll know it worked when your friend (or their chat) receives the message and the Genmoji appears as a small custom image inline or as a tappable sticker.