iOS 18.1 is now officially available for everyone. While those with an iPhone 15 Pro or later are impressed with Apple Intelligence, users without AI support are finding the new emoji keyboard a bit troublesome. Along with several other updates, Apple has tweaked the appearance of the emoji keyboard in iOS 18.1. So far, this change has received mixed reactions. One common complaint is that the new design makes scrolling much tougher because emojis appear huge.
There’s no official fix for the issue yet, but there are some workarounds that can make the emoji keyboard smaller on your iPhone. Just to clarify again: There’s no direct solution at the moment. Some have suggested adjusting the font size, but that’s not the solution. Changing the font size affects the overall look of your iPhone’s screen, and it doesn’t solve this issue. I’m saying this from personal experience, and other users on Threads agree.
So, Is There Any Workaround to Make the Emoji Keyboard Appear Smaller on iPhone?
Unless Apple takes user feedback into account, there’s no official way to resize the emoji keyboard on the iPhone yet. But don’t worry; there is a workaround to make the emoji keyboard appear smaller on your iPhone. Keep reading, and I’ll walk you through it.
Install a Third Party Keyboard
For now, your best bet to make the emoji keyboard smaller on your iPhone is to install a third-party keyboard. This seems to be the only workaround available at the moment. Personally, I’d recommend going with Gboard (Google Keyboard) or Microsoft SwiftKey – both of them are solid options and work smoothly.
How to Install a Third-Party Keyboard
- Open the App Store on your iPhone.
- Search for Gboard or Microsoft SwiftKey in the search bar.
- Tap the Download icon and install the app.
- After you’ve installed either of these apps, follow the steps below.
For Gboard:
- Open the Gboard app.
- Tap Get Started and follow the on-screen instructions to enable the keyboard.
- Once it’s set up, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards.
- Tap Add New Keyboard, then select Gboard from the list.
- If you want additional features like emoji suggestions, you can grant full access.
For Microsoft SwiftKey:
- Open the Microsoft SwiftKey app.
- Tap Get Started and follow the prompts to enable the keyboard.
- Then, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards.
- Tap Add New Keyboard, and select SwiftKey from the list.
- As with Gboard, you can also grant full access here for additional features.
After enabling the third-party keyboard, you can switch to it whenever you want to use the emoji keyboard. You’ll likely notice that these keyboards offer more customization options, making scrolling and navigating the emojis smoother. Plus, these keyboards come with a bunch of extra features, so you’ll definitely get more out of them.
Send Feedback to Apple
Installing a third-party keyboard like Gboard or Microsoft SwiftKey is a quick fix for now, but you should share feedback with Apple. The more people speak up, the more likely Apple will notice how people are feeling about this change.
The good news is that Apple’s generally responsive to user feedback, so there’s a chance they might roll back the change or introduce an option for a smaller emoji keyboard. It’s a bit of a gamble at the moment, but it’s something Apple could potentially address in the upcoming iOS updates. That’s all for now; you can enjoy your smaller emoji keyboard on your iPhone.