How to Turn Off Emoji Suggestions on iPhone and Android
To turn off emoji suggestions on iPhone, go to Settings > General > Keyboard and turn off Predictive or Predictive Text. This removes the suggestion row that can offer words and emoji while you type. On Android, the correct switch depends on the active keyboard: use Gboard's Text correction settings, Samsung Keyboard's separate Suggest emojis switch, or SwiftKey's Emoji predictions setting.
Turning off suggestions is not the same as removing the emoji keyboard, clearing recently used emoji, or hiding every sticker inside an app. First identify where the unwanted suggestion appears, then change the setting that controls that specific row, toolbar, or keyboard.
The fastest way to stop emoji suggestions
On iPhone, disable Predictive Text. On a Samsung Galaxy device using Samsung Keyboard, disable Suggest emojis and, if needed, Suggest stickers while typing. On Gboard, open Text correction and turn off the emoji-related suggestion option available in your version. On SwiftKey, open the SwiftKey app, tap Emoji, and turn off Emoji predictions.
Identify which suggestion you want to remove
Several features can look like “emoji suggestions,” but they are stored and controlled differently. Use the location of the unwanted item to identify its source before changing settings.
Predictive emoji
An emoji appears in the word suggestion row after you type a related word. This is controlled by predictive or suggestion settings in the keyboard.
Frequently used emoji
A recent or frequently used item appears after you deliberately open the emoji keyboard. Turning off predictive suggestions does not normally clear this list.
Sticker suggestions
Samsung Keyboard and some apps can recommend stickers separately from standard emoji. Look for a sticker-specific switch rather than disabling the entire emoji keyboard.
App-specific suggestions
A messaging or social app may provide its own reactions, stickers, or autocomplete panel. The system keyboard setting may not control that app-owned interface.
| Keyboard | Where to look | Setting to change | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple keyboard | Settings > General > Keyboard | Predictive or Predictive Text | Turns off word and emoji predictions together |
| Gboard on Android | Gboard Settings > Text correction | The emoji-related suggestion option shown in your version | Names and available controls can vary by version and language |
| Samsung Keyboard | Settings > General management > Samsung Keyboard settings | Suggest emojis; optionally Suggest stickers while typing | These controls apply only when Samsung Keyboard is active |
| Microsoft SwiftKey | Microsoft SwiftKey app > Emoji | Emoji predictions | The prediction bar itself remains part of SwiftKey |
Turn off emoji suggestions on iPhone
Apple's current iPhone guide explains that predictive text can suggest words, phrases, and emoji above the onscreen keyboard. Turning off Predictive Text removes that predictive row, including the emoji that appears there.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General.
- Tap Keyboard.
- Turn off Predictive or Predictive Text.
- Open Messages, Notes, or another text app and type a word that previously triggered an emoji suggestion.
- Confirm that the predictive suggestion row no longer appears.
You can also reach the same setting while typing. Touch and hold the Emoji button or keyboard-switch key, tap Keyboard Settings, and turn off Predictive Text.
iPhone does not document a separate emoji-only prediction switch.
In the current Apple keyboard, the documented Predictive Text control affects both word and emoji suggestions. If you want to keep word predictions but remove only emoji predictions, Apple's current support documentation does not provide a separate stock-keyboard switch for that exact combination.
What this iPhone setting does not remove
Predictive Text does not remove the Emoji keyboard itself. You can still tap the Emoji button and choose an emoji manually. It also does not clear the Frequently Used section, delete Memoji, remove Genmoji, or erase photo stickers saved in the keyboard.
If the problem is the recent list rather than predictions above the keyboard, use How to Remove Recently Used Emojis instead. If the entire Emoji keyboard has disappeared, see How to Get the Emoji Keyboard Back on iPhone .
Turn off emoji suggestions in Gboard on Android
Google states that Gboard lets you choose the types of suggestions you receive, including next-word and emoji suggestions. The official path is through Gboard's Text correction page, although the exact option names and availability can differ by Gboard version, language, and device.
- Open an app where you can type, such as Gmail or Keep.
- Tap a text field so Gboard appears.
- Open Gboard's features menu.
- Tap More, then Settings.
- Tap Text correction.
- In the Suggestions section, turn off the emoji-related suggestion option available in your version.
- Return to the text field and test the same trigger word again.
If no emoji-specific switch is visible, first update Gboard. Do not copy instructions for Samsung Keyboard or SwiftKey into Gboard settings; they are separate keyboard apps with different controls. Google's current help page confirms the Text correction location but does not guarantee one identical label on every Android device.
Turn off emoji and sticker suggestions on Samsung Keyboard
Samsung Keyboard provides more separate controls than the Apple keyboard. Samsung's current support documentation lists both Suggest emojis and Suggest stickers while typing under Smart typing. This lets you remove one type without necessarily removing predictive words.
- Open Settings.
- Tap General management.
- Tap Samsung Keyboard settings.
- Find the Smart typing section.
- Turn off Suggest emojis.
- Turn off Suggest stickers while typing if sticker recommendations are also unwanted.
- Keep Predictive text on if you still want word suggestions.
Samsung notes that screens and settings can vary by software version, carrier, and phone model. These steps apply to Samsung Keyboard, not to Gboard merely installed on a Galaxy phone.
Turn off emoji predictions in Microsoft SwiftKey
Microsoft provides a dedicated Emoji predictions switch in SwiftKey. This is useful when you want to keep SwiftKey's word prediction bar but stop emoji from appearing inside it.
- Open the Microsoft SwiftKey app.
- Tap Emoji.
- Turn off Emoji predictions.
- Return to a text field and test the keyboard.
Microsoft also explains that SwiftKey's prediction bar cannot be hidden completely. Disabling Emoji predictions removes that type of prediction; it does not remove the bar or ordinary word predictions.
Why emoji suggestions keep appearing after you turn them off
1. A different keyboard is active
The phone can have several keyboards installed. Changing Samsung Keyboard settings will not affect Gboard, and changing Gboard settings will not affect SwiftKey. Open a text field and use the keyboard switcher to confirm the active keyboard before changing more settings.
2. The suggestion belongs to the app
Some messaging, social, and workplace apps have their own reaction, sticker, or autocomplete panels. Test in Notes, Keep, or a simple browser text field. If the unwanted suggestion appears only in one app, check that app's settings rather than resetting the entire keyboard.
3. You turned off emoji suggestions but not sticker suggestions
Samsung Keyboard separates emoji and sticker suggestions. Other apps can also present GIFs or stickers in a toolbar that looks similar to a keyboard suggestion row. Disable the matching content type instead of assuming every illustrated suggestion is a standard emoji.
4. You are looking at Frequently Used emoji
The recent list appears only after opening the emoji keyboard and is not predictive text. Turning off predictions leaves that list available for manual selection. Clear or reset the recent list only when that is the actual problem.
5. The keyboard has not refreshed
Close the test app and reopen it after changing the setting. If the keyboard still shows the old behavior, restart the device and confirm the setting remains off. Avoid clearing all keyboard data as a first step, because that can remove learned words and other preferences without fixing an app-owned suggestion panel.
6. A work profile or another user profile has separate settings
Managed devices, work profiles, tablets with multiple users, and cloned apps can use separate keyboard instances or policies. Test in the same profile and app where the unwanted suggestion originally appeared.
Choose the narrowest setting that solves the problem.
If you only dislike sticker suggestions, do not remove the entire emoji keyboard. If you only dislike emoji predictions, keep ordinary word prediction enabled where the keyboard provides a separate switch. This preserves useful typing features while removing the specific interruption.
Use emoji manually after automatic suggestions are off
Disabling predictions does not prevent deliberate emoji use. Open the emoji keyboard when you want one, search by name when the keyboard supports search, or use Mojitap's All Emojis page to browse and copy an existing Unicode emoji.
Mojitap's main tool uses browser-based keyword and context rules to suggest relevant emoji only when you choose to run it. You can review the suggestions, change their placement, remove any you do not want, and copy the final text. It does not change the phone keyboard's predictive settings or silently insert emoji into other apps.
Manual suggestions remain under your control.
Turning off system keyboard suggestions can reduce interruptions while typing. When you later need an emoji, use Mojitap's emoji-finding methods or browse the full list rather than re-enabling every predictive feature.
Accessibility and privacy considerations
Removing a busy suggestion row can make the keyboard easier to navigate for people who are distracted by changing options or who use switch control, magnification, or a smaller screen. However, turning off all predictions can also remove useful word completions. Test the narrowest setting first and keep the configuration that makes typing clearer.
Keyboard prediction features can learn from typing behavior according to the keyboard's own settings and privacy model. This guide does not assume that every keyboard stores or processes suggestions in the same way. Review the privacy information for the specific keyboard you use when personalization is the reason you want suggestions disabled.
Final check
- Did you identify the active keyboard?
- Is the unwanted item predictive emoji, a recent emoji, a sticker, or an app-specific reaction?
- Did you change the setting for the correct keyboard?
- On Samsung Keyboard, did you check emoji and sticker suggestions separately?
- On iPhone, are you comfortable losing word predictions as well as emoji predictions?
- Did you retest in a basic text app after changing the setting?
- Can you still open the emoji keyboard manually when you actually want to use an emoji?
Official references
This guide was reviewed on August 3, 2026. Keyboard labels and available controls can change with iOS, Android, Gboard, One UI, and SwiftKey updates.
- Apple Support: Use Auto-Correction and predictive text on iPhone
- Apple Support: Use emoji on iPhone and iPad
- Google Gboard Help: Get word suggestions and fix mistakes
- Google Gboard Help: Use your keyboard on Android
- Samsung Support: Adjust keyboard settings on a Galaxy phone or tablet
- Microsoft Support: Use emoji and emoji predictions with SwiftKey
- Microsoft Support: SwiftKey prediction bar availability
Related Mojitap guides
The correct fix depends on the source of the suggestion. Disable Predictive Text on the Apple keyboard, use Gboard's Text correction controls, switch off Suggest emojis or sticker suggestions on Samsung Keyboard, or disable Emoji predictions in SwiftKey. Then test in a basic text field so an app-specific panel is not mistaken for a keyboard setting that failed.