The 5 Hidden Settings: How To Make Emojis Smaller On IOS 18 (The Ultimate Fix)

The introduction of iOS 18 brought a wave of exciting new features, but one unexpected change has left many iPhone users frustrated: the significantly larger size of emojis and the emoji keyboard. This change, which made the icons appear more prominent by minimizing the surrounding white space, was intended to improve visibility but has been widely reported as making the interface feel cluttered and oversized. As of December 2025, Apple has not released a dedicated, one-tap setting to directly control emoji size, forcing users to seek out clever workarounds.

Fortunately, you don't have to live with giant emojis. This in-depth guide provides the most current and effective system-level adjustments and hidden settings available in iOS 18 to successfully shrink your emojis back to a more manageable size. We'll explore indirect but powerful methods like Display Zoom and Text Size adjustments that scale the entire interface, giving you back the screen real estate you crave.

The iOS 18 Emoji Size Dilemma: Why They Look So Big

The core of the problem stems from a design shift within iOS 18. While the underlying emoji files may not have changed dramatically, their presentation on the screen did. This change is most noticeable in the Messages app and other text fields where the emojis appear in a larger, bolder format.

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• Increased Visual Footprint: Apple's design appears to have reduced the padding and spacing around the emoji characters, making them feel more dominant in the text flow.
• Keyboard Overhaul: The emoji keyboard itself also feels larger, with some users reporting that the rows of icons are bigger and more intrusive than in previous iOS versions like iOS 17.
• No Direct Control: Unlike general text size, which is highly customizable, Apple did not include a specific slider or toggle for emoji size, leading to the current search for workarounds.

Understanding this context is crucial, as it explains why the solutions are indirect—we must adjust the entire display environment to affect the emoji size.

Method 1: The Power of Display Zoom (The Most Effective Fix)

The most powerful and immediate way to reduce the size of emojis (and everything else on your screen) is by adjusting the iPhone's Display Zoom setting. This feature scales the entire user interface, making all elements, including the oversized emojis, appear smaller.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adjusting Display Zoom

This process changes your iPhone's display from the "Zoomed" view (which makes everything larger) to the "Standard" view, or even a smaller custom view if available on your model, which significantly reduces the visual size of all elements.

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1. Navigate to your iPhone’s Settings app.
2. Tap on Display & Brightness.
3. Scroll down and locate the Display Zoom or Display & Text Size section.
4. Tap on View (or Display Zoom).
5. If your current setting is on "Zoomed" or "Larger Text," change it to Standard.
6. For an even smaller display (if available), look for an option to switch to a more compact view or use the "More Space" setting on Pro Max models.
7. Tap Done in the upper right corner to apply the change. Your iPhone will briefly restart the display to implement the new scaling.

After this adjustment, you will immediately notice that the keyboard, app icons, text, and importantly, the emojis, are all noticeably smaller and less intrusive.

Method 2: Fine-Tuning Emojis with Text Size Settings

While the Text Size setting is primarily for font, adjusting it can have a secondary, positive effect on the visual impact of emojis, especially in text messages and apps. Since emojis often scale in relation to the surrounding text, reducing the text size can help them blend in better.

How to Reduce the Universal Text Size

This method offers a more granular approach than Display Zoom, allowing you to shrink text without changing the entire screen layout as drastically.

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1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Accessibility.
3. Tap on Display & Text Size.
4. Select Larger Text.
5. Use the slider at the bottom of the screen to select a smaller text size (move the slider to the left).
6. For the smallest possible text size, ensure the "Larger Accessibility Sizes" toggle is switched Off.

By using a smaller universal text size, the emojis will be forced to occupy less space, making them less of a visual distraction in your conversations. This is an excellent compromise for users who want smaller emojis but don't want to change their entire phone's display zoom.

Method 3: Decluttering the Emoji Keyboard

A common complaint in iOS 18 is not just the size of the emojis themselves, but the size and clutter of the keyboard interface. Apple introduced a feature that integrates stickers more prominently, which can make the keyboard feel overwhelming. By disabling this feature, you can make the keyboard feel much cleaner and, by extension, visually smaller.

The Quick Fix: Disabling Stickers in the Keyboard

This simple toggle can instantly improve your typing experience by removing a major source of screen clutter.

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap on General.
3. Select Keyboard.
4. Scroll down and find the Stickers switch.
5. Toggle the Stickers switch Off.

Turning off the Stickers feature prevents them from appearing in the predictive text bar and the emoji keyboard interface, immediately reducing the visual bulk and making the emoji selection area appear less large.

Method 4: Utilizing Third-Party Keyboards

If the built-in iOS 18 emoji keyboard remains too large even after adjusting the sticker settings, a reliable workaround is to install a third-party keyboard. These keyboards have their own sizing and design philosophies, often offering a more compact layout.

Popular options like SwiftKey or Gboard (Google Keyboard) offer alternative keyboard layouts that may occupy less screen space than the native Apple keyboard, providing a smaller, more streamlined emoji selection experience.

How to Install and Switch to a Third-Party Keyboard

1. Download a third-party keyboard app (e.g., Gboard, SwiftKey) from the App Store.
2. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards.
3. Tap Add New Keyboard... and select the downloaded app.
4. Ensure you grant it "Full Access" if prompted (necessary for some features).
5. When typing, tap the Globe icon on your keyboard to switch to the new, potentially smaller keyboard.

Method 5: Leveraging iOS 18’s New Emoji Customization Features

While not a direct size reduction, iOS 18 introduced powerful new customization features, including the ability to create "Genmoji" and custom stickers. By focusing on using these new, smaller, and more subtle custom icons, you can shift your communication away from the large, native system emojis.

The key is to use the new features to create a more personalized and less visually overwhelming communication style. For example, using the new Tapback features in Messages with custom icons, or creating smaller, custom stickers, can replace the need to send oversized native emojis in conversations.

Summary of Your iOS 18 Emoji Size Solutions

The frustration with large emojis on iOS 18 is a common user experience issue. While Apple has yet to provide a dedicated slider, combining the workarounds below will give you the best chance of achieving a smaller, more comfortable emoji experience:

• For Universal Reduction: Use Display Zoom to switch to the "Standard" or "More Space" view.
• For Text-Related Reduction: Reduce the Universal Text Size in Accessibility settings.
• For Keyboard Clutter: Turn Off Stickers in the Keyboard settings.
• For Alternative Layouts: Install a Third-Party Keyboard like Gboard.

By implementing these proven iOS 18 settings adjustments, you can successfully reclaim your screen real estate and enjoy a less visually cluttered iPhone experience.