Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Why do I get question marks instead of emojis from people texting me to my iPhone?

Hi there,

When I get texts from others and they send emojis I end up only seeing question marks where there should be emojis? Why is this happening?

iPhone 6s, iOS 13

Posted on Dec 16, 2019 6:03 AM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Dec 16, 2019 8:15 AM

They might be using an android or an updated iOS system. Emojis that aren’t ‘Apple’ emojis don’t show in iMessage- they instead appear as a white box or a question mark. Hope that helps!

12 replies

Dec 16, 2019 5:14 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Sorry, didn’t mean it like that. That’s the only way I could think of describing it. I didn’t mean to add a title to the emoji- and it wasn’t the point of my post... I really just meant that emojis that iPhone doesn’t recognize might show up in other places, but not in iMessage. That’s just been my experience with my friends who have androids. Sorry if I used the wrong words. Didn’t mean it

Dec 16, 2019 8:31 AM in response to Lyssies_vibes20

There is no such thing as an “Apple” emoji. All manufacturers agree to the same standard for recognizing emoji. If an emoji sent from one manufacturer’s device to another manufacturer’s device and it doesn’t display as an emoji there is something wrong with the sending device. Apple correctly displays all emoji defined by the Unicode Consortium. If a manufacturer chooses to create their own emoji independent of the standard that is colossal stupidity. But I have yet to encounter any “outlaw” emoji sent from Android devices. Apple’s interpretation of what it should look like may differ in details from what the sender sees, but iOS will still always display something.

Why do I get question marks instead of emojis from people texting me to my iPhone?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.