ThisCalculator

Everyday

Stop Emojis Replacing Words in Messages

Updated · Standard formula, shown below

This guide shows you how to stop your phone or computer from automatically swapping typed words with emoji. This usually happens when you type a word like “happy” and it turns into 😊, or when you type “lol” and it becomes 😂. The fix is simple and takes less than a minute once you know where the setting lives.

What You’ll Need

  • Access to your device’s settings (phone, tablet, or computer).
  • Knowledge of which app or keyboard is causing the replacement (e.g., Messages, WhatsApp, Gboard, Samsung Keyboard, iOS).
  • About 1–2 minutes of time.

Step-by-Step

On iPhone (iOS)

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap Keyboard.
  4. Look for Text Replacement (sometimes called “Shortcuts”).
  5. You’ll see a list of shortcuts. Find the one that turns a word into an emoji. For example, “lol” might be set to 😂.
  6. Tap the shortcut, then tap Delete (or swipe left and tap Delete).
  7. Repeat for any other unwanted replacements.

On Android (Samsung, Google Pixel, etc.)

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Go to General Management (Samsung) or System > Languages & input (stock Android).
  3. Tap Keyboard list and default or On-screen keyboard.
  4. Select your active keyboard (e.g., Gboard, Samsung Keyboard).
  5. Look for Dictionary or Text shortcuts (Gboard: Settings > Dictionary > Personal dictionary).
  6. Find the entry that maps a word to an emoji and delete it.
  7. If you use Samsung Keyboard, go to Settings > General Management > Samsung Keyboard settings > More typing options and turn off Smart typing or Text shortcuts if you want to disable all replacements.

On WhatsApp (Android and iPhone)

  1. Open WhatsApp.
  2. Tap the three dots (Android) or Settings (iPhone).
  3. Go to Settings > Chats.
  4. Look for Emoji or Suggest emoji.
  5. Turn off Suggest emoji (Android) or Emoji suggestions (iPhone).

On Windows PC (Microsoft SwiftKey or Touch Keyboard)

  1. Open Settings > Devices > Typing.
  2. Scroll to Advanced keyboard settings.
  3. If you use SwiftKey, open SwiftKey settings and go to Typing > Auto-correction and turn off Emoji suggestions.
  4. If you use the default touch keyboard, go to Settings > Devices > Typing and turn off Show text suggestions as I type.

On Mac (macOS)

  1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences).
  2. Go to Keyboard.
  3. Click Text (or Text Replacements).
  4. Look for any shortcut that has an emoji as the replacement. For example, “happy” might be set to 😊.
  5. Select the entry and click the minus button to delete it.

Common Mistakes

  • Deleting the wrong shortcut – Make sure you’re deleting the one that turns a word into an emoji, not one that expands an abbreviation like “brb” to “be right back”.
  • Turning off all text replacements – Some people disable the entire text replacement feature, which also removes useful shortcuts like “omw” to “on my way”. Instead, delete only the emoji shortcuts.
  • Forgetting to restart the app – After deleting a shortcut, the change may not take effect until you close and reopen the messaging app.
  • Checking the wrong keyboard – If you have multiple keyboards installed, make sure you’re editing the one you actually use.

Tips

  • Use the search bar – In the text replacement list, use the search function to quickly find entries that contain emoji characters.
  • Clear all emoji shortcuts at once – If you have many, consider deleting all shortcuts and re-adding only the ones you need.
  • Turn off emoji suggestions – Even after deleting shortcuts, your keyboard may still suggest emoji in the prediction bar. Disable “Suggest emoji” or “Emoji suggestions” in your keyboard settings.
  • Use a third-party keyboard – If your default keyboard keeps adding emoji replacements, try a keyboard like Gboard or SwiftKey and configure it to your preference.

Troubleshooting

Problem: Emojis still appear after deleting shortcuts.
This could be because the app itself has its own emoji replacement feature. For example, WhatsApp has its own “Suggest emoji” setting. Check the app’s settings, not just the keyboard settings.

Problem: The shortcut list is empty but emojis still replace words.
Some keyboards have a built-in “smart” feature that automatically converts words to emoji based on context. Look for a toggle called “Smart typing” (Samsung) or “Emoji prediction” (Gboard) and turn it off.

Problem: I can’t find the text replacement settings.
On Android, the path varies by manufacturer. Try searching your settings for “text shortcuts” or “personal dictionary”. On iPhone, it’s always under General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.

Problem: The replacement happens only in certain apps.
Some apps have their own emoji conversion. Check the app’s settings for “Auto-replace” or “Emoji suggestions” and disable it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my words turn into emojis automatically?

Your keyboard or messaging app has a built-in text replacement feature that maps certain words to emoji. For example, typing “lol” might be set to 😂. This is often enabled by default.

Will deleting shortcuts affect my other text replacements?

No, deleting a specific shortcut only removes that one. Other shortcuts like “omw” to “on my way” will remain unless you delete them too.

Can I stop emoji suggestions without deleting shortcuts?

Yes, you can turn off “Suggest emoji” or “Emoji suggestions” in your keyboard settings. This stops emoji from appearing in the prediction bar, but won’t stop automatic replacement of typed words.

Does this work on all messaging apps?

Mostly yes, because the replacement happens at the keyboard level. However, some apps like WhatsApp have their own emoji suggestion feature that needs to be disabled separately.

What if I want to keep some emoji shortcuts but not others?

That’s fine. Just delete the ones you don’t want and keep the ones you do. You can also edit a shortcut to change the emoji to a different one.

Is there a way to disable all emoji replacement at once?

On iPhone, you can turn off “Smart Punctuation” and “Auto-Capitalization” but there’s no single switch for emoji replacement. On Android, you can disable “Smart typing” (Samsung) or “Emoji prediction” (Gboard) to stop most replacements.

Related

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.