How to add emoji to a photo on iPhone
In the Photos app, open the photo, tap Edit, then Markup, tap the Add button and choose Add Text, then switch to the emoji keyboard and tap any emoji. For emoji that keep moving on the photo, use the Animated emoji pack in Tada and save it as a Live Photo.
Add emoji in the Photos app
- Open Photos and tap the photo you want.
- Tap the Edit button, then tap the Markup button.
- Tap the Add button, then tap Add Text.
- Tap the text box, then tap the Emoji button on the keyboard to switch to the emoji keyboard. Tap an emoji to add it. To pick a different skin tone, touch and hold the emoji and slide to the one you like.
- Tap the text tools to make it bigger, then tap outside the text box.
- Tap Done to save your edits.
To use a sticker instead, tap Add Sticker in step 3, touch a sticker and drag it onto the photo. Rotate it with two fingers, or drag a blue dot on its box to resize it. The stickers come from your sticker collection: packs from the App Store and stickers you made from your own photos.
These steps follow Apple’s guides to Markup and the emoji keyboard. The emoji stays still, like the photo.
Emoji that move, with Tada
- Open Tada, tap Add effects and pick a photo. Screenshots work too.
- Pick the Animated emoji pack, 48 emoji that move. In about a second Tada places a whole set on the person. Tap the dice (Shuffle) for a different set.
- Drag, pinch or turn any emoji to fix it, or drag it to the bin.
- Tap Save. The photo goes to Photos as a Live Photo, so the emoji keep moving when you touch and hold it. You can send it in Messages like any Live Photo.
Animated emoji is a Pro pack. The free Classic pack has emoji-style stickers too: hearts, stars, sparkles, a rainbow, a sun, a moon and ice cream. There is more on where moving emoji show up on iPhone in animated emoji.
Which way to use
| Photos app | Tada | |
|---|---|---|
| Emoji move | No | Yes, saved as a Live Photo |
| Which emoji | Any emoji on your keyboard | 48 in the Animated emoji pack |
| Placed for you | No, one at a time | Yes, a whole set at once |
| Cost | Free | Animated emoji is Pro; Classic is free |
For stickers other than emoji, see how to add stickers to photos.
Questions
How do I put an emoji on a picture on iPhone?
Open the photo in Photos, tap Edit, then Markup. Tap the Add button, choose Add Text, switch to the emoji keyboard and tap an emoji. Tap Done to save.
Can I make the emoji move?
Not with Markup, where the emoji stays still. In Tada, the Animated emoji pack puts moving emoji on your photo and saves it to Photos as a Live Photo.
Is the Animated emoji pack free?
No, it comes with Tada Pro, and the yearly plan starts with 7 days free. Classic and the other everyday sticker packs are free, as many times as you like.
Sources: Apple Support: Edit photos and videos on iPhone · Apple Support: Add text, shapes, stickers, and more with Markup on iPhone · Apple Support: Add emoji, Memoji, and stickers with the iPhone keyboard