How to Find Out What Emojis Mean on iPhone?

Emojis are cute, expressive, and sometimes confusing! With nearly 3,700 emojis available on iPhone and iPad, Apple has given us a fun and visual way to communicate everything from emotions to objects and symbols. But while it’s easy to insert emojis into messages, figuring out what they actually mean can be tricky.

Ever seen someone use the wrong emoji and completely change the tone of a message? It happens more often than you’d think. Fortunately, your iPhone has a hidden feature that helps you decode emoji meanings instantly. In this guide, we’ll show you how to make your iPhone read emoji meanings aloud and also share the most popular emoji definitions—including all the new additions in iOS 26!

How to Find Out What Emojis Mean on iPhone (2 Easy Methods)

To get started, you’ll need to enable Speak Selection on your iPhone. This allows your device to read selected text out loud—perfect for interpreting emojis.

1. Turn On Speak Selection on iPhone

1. Launch the Settings app → Tap Accessibility. 
2. Choose Spoken Content.  
3. Toggle on Speak Selection.
   
   

2. Make Your iPhone Speak Emoji Meanings Aloud

Once Speak Selection is enabled, follow these steps to hear what emojis mean—using a supported app like Notes:

1. Open the Notes app → Open a new note or an existing one.
2. On your keyboard, tap the emoji icon on the bottom left.
   If you have multiple keyboards installed, you’ll find the emoji icon next to the space bar.
   
   
3. Insert the emojis of your choice.
4. Press and hold the emojis until a pop-up menu appears → Choose Select All.
   If you have entered just one emoji, tap Select.
5. Tap the arrow appearing on the second pop-up menu that appears.
6. Keep swiping left until you find and tap Speak.
   
   

Now your iPhone will read the emoji aloud, giving you its intended meaning. Handy, right?

Top 50 emoji meanings on iPhone and iPad

Here’s a quick-reference list of the most popular and commonly used emojis with their meanings:

What Are the New Emojis in iOS 26?

With iOS 26, Apple adds even more personality to your conversations! Based on final approvals from the Unicode Consortium, eight new emojis are expected to land in the iOS 26.2 or 26.3 update.

List of New iOS 26 Emojis:

• Apple Core
• Ballet Dancers 
• Distorted Face
• Fight Cloud
• Hairy Creature 
• Orca
• Trombone
• Treasure Chest

Bonus: Emoji Customization with Genmoji in iOS 18

iOS 18 introduced a powerful new feature called Genmoji, which lets you create custom emojis from text prompts. It’s powered by Apple Intelligence and makes emoji creation fun and personal.

You can even blend multiple emojis to create one-of-a-kind reactions—perfect for expressing those “no words can explain” moments!

Looking for what came in the iOS 18.4 emoji batch? Here’s your list:

Wrapping up…

Emojis have become a universal language of expression. Now that you know how to find emoji meanings on your iPhone, you can text with confidence and avoid those awkward mix-ups.

Whether you’re laughing, loving, or just feeling a little, there’s an emoji for everything.

So, what’s your go-to emoji? Drop it in the comments below!

Also read:

• How to use Memoji on your iPhone and iPad Pro
• How to combine emojis on iPhone
• Best Emoji apps for iPhone and iPad