How to Type Kaomoji on iPhone: The Hidden Kaomoji Keyboard, Text Replacement & Copy-Paste (iOS Guide)

1. The Fastest Method — Copy and Paste from Our Site

If you just want to drop one in right now on iPhone, copy-paste is the fastest path. Tap any kaomoji you like on our site (e.g. (づ｡◕‿◕｡)づ) and it copies automatically. Then long-press the input field in Messages, LINE, Instagram, or anywhere, and choose "Paste." It needs no settings changes and works in any app. For casual use — browsing lots of options and changing them by mood — this method is ideal.

2. Use the Hidden Kaomoji Keyboard — Built into the Japanese Keyboard

The iPhone actually has a dedicated kaomoji keyboard hidden away — but it becomes available once you add the Japanese keyboard. Steps: Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard → choose "Japanese (Kana)." Then in Notes or any app, tap the globe (🌐) or emoji key to switch to the Japanese keyboard. Either pick from the kaomoji suggestions that appear, or type "かお" (kao) in Kana input and convert — a long list of kaomoji candidates (like (^_^) and (´；ω；｀)) appears for you to choose from.

The upside of this method is that once set up, you can type entirely from the keyboard without opening an app. The downside: for English-only users, adding a Japanese keyboard is a bit of a hassle, and the built-in suggestions are nowhere near our 61,000+ collection. It is plenty if you frequently use classic faces like (^_^), but if you also want rarer or aesthetic kaomoji, combining it with copy-paste or text replacement is more practical.

3. Save to Text Replacement — Expand a Short Code into a Full Face

Copy-pasting your go-to kaomoji every time gets tedious. That is where iOS Text Replacement shines: type a short code you chose (e.g. "shrug") and it auto-expands into the kaomoji you saved (e.g. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). Steps: Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement → tap "+" at the top right → paste the kaomoji into the "Phrase" field, enter a short code into the "Shortcut" field, and save.

Recommended entries: "shrug" → ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, "happy" → (´• ω •`), "hug" → (づ｡◕‿◕｡)づ, "cry" → (´；ω；｀), "love" → (♥ω♥*). The knack is to pick codes that are easy to type and do not collide with everyday words (avoid assigning, say, "omg," which would misfire in normal conversation). Text Replacement syncs to your other Apple devices (iPad, Mac) via iCloud, so once saved, you can summon the same kaomoji instantly on every device.

4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. I can't find a kaomoji keyboard. A. The iPhone has no English-only kaomoji keyboard; as above, adding the Japanese keyboard unlocks kaomoji suggestions. If that is a hassle, Text Replacement or copy-paste is easier. Q. Are kaomoji and emoji the same? A. No. An emoji (😀) is a single picture character; a kaomoji ((^_^)) is a combination of several symbols. The emoji keyboard does not produce kaomoji, so use the methods in this article.

Q. A kaomoji I pasted shows as a box (□) on the other person's device. A. Some rare symbols break if the recipient's device font lacks them. Choosing kaomoji built mostly from basic symbols — (^_^), (´• ω •`), (づ｡◕‿◕｡)づ — displays correctly on nearly any device. Q. Do the same methods work on Android? A. An equivalent to Text Replacement (such as Gboard's personal dictionary) and copy-paste from our site both work on Android. See also our column "How to Type Kaomoji on Windows, Mac, iPhone & Android."