Make Your Own Emoji
There is no emoji for your inside joke, your dog's exact expression, or the very specific way your friend looked at brunch. Genmoji on the Mac fixes that: describe anything in words, and Apple Intelligence draws you a custom emoji on the spot. It is one of the most fun Apple Intelligence features, and it is built right into the emoji picker. Here is how to make your own.
TL;DR / Quick Fix
Quick fix: Genmoji on the Mac turns a text description into a custom emoji — open the emoji picker, describe what you want, and pick a favorite. It needs Apple Intelligence enabled. Use them like normal emoji in Messages and Mail, though older devices may show them as images instead.
Follow these steps
- Open the emoji picker anywhere. Press Fn+E (or Control+Command+Space) in Messages, Mail, Notes — anywhere you type. The picker now has a Genmoji option alongside the standard emoji; the keyboard shortcut is worth memorizing.
- Describe your emoji in words. Type what you want: 'a sleepy cat in a tiny crown' or 'a taco doing a backflip.' Concrete, visual descriptions work best — the generator draws what you describe, literally.
- Pick from the variations. Genmoji offers several takes on your description. Swipe through and choose the one that nails it — the first result is rarely the best one.
- Base one on a real person — carefully. You can generate emoji-style images of people from your photo library. Fun for family chats; keep it consensual and private, and never use someone's likeness to mock or mislead.
- Use them like normal emoji. Drop Genmoji into Messages and Mail exactly like regular emoji. On recent Apple devices they behave like stickers and emoji; older devices may display them as images instead.
- Save the good ones. Favorite the winners so you can reuse them. Your best Genmoji become a personal set that no one else has — the whole point of making your own.
What NOT to do
- Do not create Genmoji of real people to share publicly. Private family fun is one thing; posting generated likenesses of someone crosses a line.
- Do not expect them everywhere. Genmoji are an Apple-ecosystem feature — friends on other platforms may see images or placeholders instead.
- Do not use them in formal communication. A custom taco-backflip emoji has no place in a job application or a condolence note.
- Do not forget Apple Intelligence must be on. Without it, the Genmoji option simply does not appear in the picker.
Frequently asked questions
Why don't I see the Genmoji option?
You need a Mac with Apple Silicon, Apple Intelligence enabled, and a recent macOS version. Check all three in System Settings under Apple Intelligence & Siri.
Can I use Genmoji outside Apple apps?
In any Mac app where the emoji picker works, yes. How they render on the receiving end depends on the recipient's device and app.
Are my Genmoji private?
They are generated on-device or via Apple's private cloud processing, not posted anywhere. What you send, of course, is whatever you choose to share.