Step-by-Step Guide: How to Reset Emoji Keyboard on iPhone

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By Anna Sherry

2025-07-01 / Unlock iPhone

Emojis are a fun and popular part of everyday texting. On your iPhone, the emoji keyboard keeps track of your most recently used emojis. While this can be helpful, sometimes you may want to clear it. Maybe you’ve used a wrong emoji too many times or just want a fresh start.

If you’ve ever wondered how to reset emoji keyboard on iPhone or remove recently used emojis, this guide is for you. We'll explain step-by-step methods that are simple to follow even if you're not tech-savvy.

Part 1: How to Reset Emoji Keyboard on iPhone

If you want how to reset emoji keyboard on iPhone, follow these quick steps. This method clears the emoji history by turning off Stickers temporarily and manually removing emojis.

Steps to Reset Emoji Keyboard:

  • Open the Settings app and go to General > Keyboard > Emoji.
  • Turn Stickers off.
  • Now open the Messages app and start a new chat.
  • Tap the Emoji icon, go to the Stickers tab, then open the Recents section.
  • Press and hold any emoji or sticker you want to delete, then tap Delete.
  • Go back to settings and turn Stickers back on if needed.

Part 2: How to Remove Recently Used Emojis from iPhone's Keyboard

If your goal is to clean up your "frequently used" emojis from the default keyboard, there are a couple of easy ways to how to remove recently used emojis iPhone.

Option 1: Reset Keyboard Dictionary

If you want to clear your iPhone’s frequently used emojis and custom words, resetting the keyboard dictionary is the best way. Follow these steps:

  • Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  • Tap General from the list of options.
  • Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  • Tap Reset, then choose Reset Keyboard Dictionary.
  • Enter your iPhone passcode when prompted.
  • Tap Reset Dictionary to confirm.

This will erase all saved keyboard data, including frequently used emojis and learned words.

reset keyboard dictionary

Option 2: Replace Frequently Used Emojis Manually

When you use emojis on your iPhone, they appear in the 'Frequently Used' section in a specific pattern and if you're wondering how to delete recent emojis on iPhone 13, here's how it works:

  • At first, your emoji keyboard may show a list of standard emojis that are pre-filled by Apple. These are not your actual recent emojis.
  • As soon as you start using emojis, the ones you use will start to appear in the top-left corner of the “Frequently Used” section.
  • Every time you use a new emoji, it takes the top-left spot. The previously used emoji gets pushed down, row by row.
  • After enough emojis are used, the older ones move down and then continue filling up from the next row’s top again.
  • Sometimes, emojis that you use more than once will stay on the left side. That’s because the system thinks you want quicker access to the ones you use more often.
  • replace frequently used emojis
  • Occasionally, even brand-new emojis might show up in the middle or later rows, depending on how often other emojis are reused.

Part 3: How to Delete Frequently Used Emojis on WhatsApp iPhone

WhatsApp has its own emoji keyboard separate from the iPhone's built-in keyboard. If you use emojis a lot in WhatsApp and want to reset or remove recently used ones, here’s what you can do.

Way 1: Delete Recent Emojis by Hand (If Available)

  • Open the WhatsApp app and go to any chat.
  • Tap the emoji icon to open the emoji picker.
  • If your version supports it, swipe left on the recent emojis section.
  • Tap Clear to remove the recently used emojis.

Way 2: Reset Recent Emojis by Reinstalling WhatsApp

  • Back up your chats by going to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
  • Delete the WhatsApp app from your iPhone.
  • Go to the App Store and reinstall WhatsApp.
  • Open WhatsApp and, if asked, restore your chat backup.

Part 4. FAQs about Resetting Emoji Keyboard

Q1: Can I reset my emoji keyboard without deleting other keyboard settings?

Currently, iOS does not allow users to reset only the emoji keyboard. To clear the frequently used or recently used emojis, you need to reset the keyboard dictionary, which affects all learned words and predictions.

Q2: Why do the same emojis keep showing up on my iPhone keyboard?

The emoji panel automatically records the emojis you use most often or recently. These aren’t manually pinned but are based on your usage pattern. To remove them, you’ll need to clear the keyboard history.

Q3: Can I delete a single emoji from the recent emoji list on iPhone?

Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t currently support deleting individual emojis from the recent list. It’s either all or nothing. However, over time, new emoji usage can replace old ones in the recent list.

Q4: Is there an iOS 18 or iOS 17 bug that prevents emojis from resetting?

Some users on iOS 18 beta report that after resetting keyboard settings, recently used emojis still show up in some apps. This could be due to iCloud syncing or app-level cache. Try logging out of iCloud temporarily or reinstalling the affected app.

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If you're trying to reset your emoji keyboard but can’t access your iPhone settings, Tenorshare 4uKey is a helpful tool. It allows you to reset your iPhone even if you've forgotten your passcode.

This is useful when you're locked out or unable to use the normal settings. 4uKey works smoothly with the latest iOS versions and supports most iPhone models. It's a quick and reliable option when your phone becomes unresponsive or locked.

Steps to Reset iPhone with 4uKey

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Conclusion

Resetting the emoji keyboard on your iPhone is simple once you know the steps. Whether you want to remove a few recently used emojis or fully reset the keyboard, Apple gives you a few helpful ways to do it.

If you're dealing with bigger problems like being locked out of your phone or unable to access the keyboard settings Tenorshare 4uKey is a great tool to solve that issue quickly.

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