How to Drag & Drop Emojis in iMessage

By Rachel Needell Updated 04/17/2024

* This article is from our Tip of the Day newsletter. Sign Up. *

Did you know that you can drag and drop emojis in your iMessage app the same way you can drag stickers and memojis? We didn't either! It's super fun, easy to do, and a great way to communicate with your friends. Here's how to drag an emoji into your messages!

Why You'll Love This Tip:

Add emojis to your texts like stickers.
Drag and drop emojis anywhere in your Messages app.

How to Drag Emojis in iMessage

System Requirements

This tip was performed on an iPhone 12 running iOS 17.4 or later. Learn how to update to the latest iOS.

Unlike stickers or memojis, you don't have to create your own to drag and drop emojis in your messages. If you like learning about using your iPhone, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day!

Discover your iPhone's hidden features

Get a daily tip (with screenshots and clear instructions) so you can master your iPhone in just one minute a day.

On your iPhone, open Messages.
In a text to another iPhone, open the emoji keyboard.

Find the emoji you'd like to use like a sticker, then tap and hold it. You will see it move slightly as if you are peeling it off the sticker sheet.
Drag the emoji anywhere in the messages window. Release it to place it like a sticker.

If you want to move it later, press and hold it again until it comes unstuck, and then move it where you like!

Note

If you try this with an Android user, the emoji will simply appear as a normal text with that single emoji. It will not stay wherever you place it in the text window because this feature only works with iMessage.

And that's how you drag emojis into your texts with friends! Have fun! Next, learn how to create an emoji from a photo on your iPhone.

Master your iPhone in one minute a day: Sign up here to get our FREE Tip of the Day delivered right to your inbox.

Topics

Author Details

Rachel Needell

Rachel Needell is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, and a poet and author. With 10-plus years of experience working with Apple devices, she specializes in all-things iPad and is a Notes App expert, having worked on both the 2023 iPad Guide and the Notes App Guide. You can usually find her writing in the Daily Tip newsletter as one of our senior Tip writers. Rachel received her Master’s degree in English Literature in 2021 and her most recent work appears in the Winter ’21 edition of New Note Poetry. When she’s not obsessing about Apple products, you can find her voraciously reading fantasy books with her cat in Asheville, North Carolina.

Featured Products

Hands Down One Of The Best 0% Interest Credit Cards

If you have outstanding credit card debt, getting a new 0% intro APR credit card could help ease the pressure while you pay down your balances. Our credit card experts identified top credit cards that are perfect for anyone looking to pay down debt and not add to it! Click through to see what all the hype is about.

The Best Calendar & Advanced Task Manager for iOS

Now you can try Informant 5 for free and experience a productivity boost by managing projects with tasks and notes, syncing your calendar among all your devices, enjoying a user-friendly 30-day calendar view, and so much more. Informant 5 features SmartBar navigation which makes it so much easier to use and master this calendar app. Plus, you can use it almost anywhere thanks to Dark Mode. With a dark background, you can check in on your tasks and schedule anywhere, even the movie theater. Upgrade to the best calendar app and task manager for iOS! Embrace an "out with the old, in with the new" spirit with Informant 5.