In iOS 11, Apple introduced animated emoji characters called Animoji, which are designed to mimic your facial expressions. Later in iOS 12, Animoji grew to encompass Memoji, which are customizable humanoid Animoji characters that you can design to look just like you.

ios13b2newanimojistickers
Memoji and Animoji are limited to Apple's iPhones with TrueDepth technology, but in iOS 13, Apple added several different Animoji and Memoji stickers that can be used on all Apple devices with an A9 chip or later. And in iOS 14, Apple added new Memoji customization options, including the ability to select new hair styles, headwear, or masks, and more age options.

Animoji/Memoji stickers let you express yourself using an existing character or a custom-made character that looks like you, using classic emoji-like poses and faces, such as heart eyes, brain exploding, shushing face, laughing with tears, crying, shrugging, face palm, and more. Keep reading to learn how to use them when sending Messages.

  1. Launch the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap the New Message icon in the top-right of the screen, or select an existing message thread that you want to use to send an Animoji/Memoji sticker.
    messages

  3. If you're sending a new message, enter a contact in the To: field.
  4. If you don't see the apps row above the keyboard, tap the App Store icon beside the message field, which appears at the top of the onscreen keyboard.
  5. Tap the icon consisting of a Memoji face surrounded by hearts.
    messages

  6. You'll see a horizontally scrolling list of faces including Animoji and any Memoji you've created. Tap a face to access a selection of pre-defined stickers – select one to send as a message, add a comment if desired and then tap the Send button.
  7. Alternately, tap the ellipsis (three dots) icon to create a new Memoji or edit and existing one.
  8. Tap New Memoji if this is your first.
    messages

  9. From here, you can create your lookalike in digital form by choosing from a gallery of facial features and characteristics. When you're happy with your Memoji, tap Done in the top-right corner of the screen.
  10. Choose a pose from your newly generated Memoji sticker gallery to send as a message, add a comment if desired and then tap the Send button.
    messages

Note that Memoji and Animoji stickers are accessible not only in the Messages app, but also in other places like Mail and Notes through the emoji icon on the iOS virtual keyboard.

Related Forum: iOS 13

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

iPhone Foldable Display Said to Feature iPad-Style 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Friday March 28, 2025 3:44 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming "iPhone Fold" will feature a foldable screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, according to a Chinese leaker who previously leaked the book-style device's display dimensions. The Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station claims that Apple will adopt a "roughly" 4:3 aspect ratio on the inner display in order to achieve consistency between the outer display, as well as to ensure parity...