iOS 14 finally lets you search for that perfect emoji you can never find

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Emoji search coming in iOS 14
It's about time!
Photo: Bernard Hermant

WWDC 2020 iOS 14 will give iPhone and iPad users the ability to search for emoji to make texting easier. The feature is already available inside macOS — and has been for a while — but it finally makes the leap to mobile this fall.

Apple regularly brings new emoji to iPhone and iPad to ensure that its users don’t miss out on the latest additions. Over the years, the catalog has grown to feature hundreds of different faces, animals, foods, and more.

So, finding an emoji you don’t use often can be a hellish experience. You’ll have to scroll through page after page just to locate the one you want, and the chances of you finding it on the first pass are incredibly slim.

That all changes with iOS 14.

Search for emoji in iOS 14

At the top of the emoji keyboard in iOS 14, users will find a new search bar. You can use it to enter keywords like “flag,” “heart,” “bagel,” and others that will make finding your desired icon quicker and easier.

Technically, previous versions of iOS did have emoji search … kind of. Apple’s QuickType keyboard suggested icons based on the words you typed, then allowed you to enter them with just a tap.

But a true emoji search function is a great addition to keen emoji users, and it’s just one of the many improvements coming in iOS 14 that make life a little easier for iPhone and iPad users.

Available to all this fall

iOS and iPadOS 14 will be available to the public this fall — alongside watchOS 7, macOS Big Sur, and more — as a free download for all compatible devices. Developers can start testing the first beta today.

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