Emojis have become an integral part of digital communication in recent years. From text messages to social media posts, these small digital icons help convey tone and emotion. As emoji use has grown, so has the number available. There are now over 3,000 approved emojis according to Emojipedia. With so many to choose from, you may find yourself using some more than others. This can lead to frequently used emojis appearing at the top of your keyboard’s emoji picker. But what if you want to clear those recent emojis to get back to a blank slate? Let’s take a look at whether clearing your recent emojis is possible.
What are recently used emojis?
Most mobile devices and apps with emoji keyboards will track your recently used emojis. These are the emojis you’ve sent in text messages, social media posts, emails, and other platforms. Your keyboard shows these at the top of the emoji picker for quick access. For example, if you frequently use the smiling face with heart-eyes emoji, it will likely appear in your recent section. This makes it easy to use the same emojis again without scrolling through the hundreds of options.
Recent emojis are application-specific. The ones appearing in your messaging app will differ from those used in your email app or social media platforms. Each app tracks emojis independently based on how you use them in that particular app.
Where are recently used emojis stored?
Emojis are stored in your device’s keyboard cache. This allows for faster retrieval when using emojis across different apps. The keyboard cache saves a history of your typed words, auto-correct terms, and frequently used emojis. Accessing this data doesn’t require loading from your device storage each time.
Caching provides a performance benefit for emoji keyboards and word suggestions. However, it also means data like recent emojis persist across uses. Simply closing out of an app won’t clear that history. device cache management is required.
Can you clear recent emojis in iOS?
For iPhone and iPad users, clearing recent emojis is straightforward. Follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement
- Tap the x icon next to each recent emoji shortcut phrase
- This will remove all recent emojis
You can also reset the entire keyboard dictionary on iOS which wipes recent emojis. Here’s how:
- Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Keyboard Dictionary
- Confirm resetting the dictionary to remove words, shortcuts, predictions and emojis
Resetting the keyboard dictionary gets you back to a clean slate for word and emoji suggestions. However, this process isn’t instant. Your device will re-learn common words and emojis as you use them across apps.
Clearing recent emojis on Android
The process varies depending on your Android device and OS version. Try these steps:
Pixel Devices
- Open Settings > System > Languages & input > Virtual keyboard > Gboard
- Tap Clear data
- Confirm clearing to remove recent emojis
Samsung Galaxy
- Open Settings > General management > Language and input > On-screen keyboard > Samsung keyboard
- Tap Clear data
- Confirm to remove recent emojis
OnePlus
- Open Settings > Utilities > OnePlus Switch > Backup and reset
- Tap Clear keyboard cache
- Restart device to apply changes
As with iOS, clearing the cache on Android removes recent emojis but they build back up with use. More advanced users can also wipe their device cache partition entirely for a full reset.
Turn off Recent Emojis
In addition to clearing your recent emojis, you may want to disable the feature entirely. This prevents frequent emojis from being tracked and saved.
iOS
There is no setting to disable recent emojis on iOS. Clearing the keyboard dictionary provides a temporary fix.
Android
Some Android keyboard apps provide options to toggle off showing recent emojis:
- Gboard: Open settings > Disable “Show emoji and sticker suggestions”
- Samsung keyboard: Open settings > Disable “Show recently used emojis”
- SwiftKey: Open settings > Disable “Recents”
Check your installed keyboard app for a similar setting to stop recent emojis.
Use Third-Party Apps
Another option is using third-party emoji keyboard apps. Some alternative emoji apps don’t track your recent emojis. They provide access to the entire emoji library without caching frequent ones.
Popular options include:
- Bitmoji
- Emoji>
- Ginger Keyboard
- Google Keyboard
- Swype
Review emoji keyboard apps in your device’s app store to find one with the features you want. Just allow full keyboard access after installing.
Clear Emojis on Social Media
Don’t forget to check your social media accounts. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others may also track your recently used emojis.
You’ll need to clear them separately in each app’s settings or support pages. Refer to the app developer’s instructions for how to reset recent emojis.
Conclusion
Recent emojis are a handy feature for quick access to frequently used icons. But if your recent section is cluttered or inaccurate, there are ways to clear it out. Reset your keyboard cache and dictionary on iOS or Android to wipe the slate clean. Disabling the recent emoji feature in your keyboard app also helps. And don’t forget to clear those emoji recents in your social media accounts too. With a little work, you can remove unwanted recent emojis for an organized emoji picker.