Apple to Upgrade Genmoji in iOS 27 With Smarter Emoji Suggestions: Mark Gurman

Apple is reportedly preparing an enhancement to Genmoji in iOS 27 that could make the Apple Intelligence feature more visible to everyday users. The update is expected to add automatic Genmoji suggestions based on photos stored on an iPhone or iPad and phrases that users type frequently. The feature will be optional and can be turned off in keyboard settings. The Cupertino-based tech giant appears to be using the change to encourage wider use of Genmoji after the feature received a mixed response when it first launched.

Apple Reportedly Testing Suggested Genmoji Feature for iPhone and iPad

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter, Apple plans to introduce a new Suggested Genmoji option in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. The feature will generate custom emoji suggestions based on images in the user's photo library and commonly typed phrases. A new toggle in the keyboard settings reportedly describes the feature with the text, "Suggested Genmoji are created from your photos and your commonly typed phrases." Gurman claimed that users can disable the feature if they do not want Genmoji suggestions to appear automatically.

Apple introduced Genmoji in late 2024 as part of the initial Apple Intelligence rollout. The tool allows users to generate custom emojis by entering a text prompt. While the feature drew attention at launch, early versions often produced inconsistent results that did not match Apple's promotional examples. The original implementation also faced performance issues. Gurman noted that Genmoji processing could cause iPhones to heat up and consume more battery power because the image-generation models were computationally demanding.

Apple has made several improvements since then. In iOS 26, the company added support for combining two standard emoji into a single Genmoji and introduced more customisation options. Reports suggest that performance has also improved, reducing heat generation during use.

The upcoming Suggested Genmoji feature is intended to make the tool easier to use for people who do not regularly create custom emoji manually. Instead of typing a prompt, users may receive ready-made suggestions that match their photos or frequently used expressions.

Gurman did not mention any major upgrade to the image generation model that powers Genmoji. This suggests Apple may continue to rely on on-device processing for the feature in iOS 27. Apple is expected to release iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 later this year alongside its next-generation iPhone models. The company is likely to preview the software updates at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference before the public rollout.