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Apr 12, 2001
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The iOS and iPadOS 14 updates that were introduced this morning will include a hidden feature that Apple didn't have time to mention - emoji search.

macosemojipicker.jpg

In iOS 14, the Mac emoji search option that lets you find an appropriate emoji using a keyword will be coming to iOS.
A new search field for the emoji keyboard lets you search for the perfect emoji. Enter a commonly used word or phrase such as "heart" or "smiley face" and you will be presented with the corresponding emoji to choose from.
An emoji search option is something that iOS users have been wanting for years, as it gets harder and harder to find the appropriate emoji with each of the new emoji added to iOS every year.

Article Link: Emoji Search Finally Coming to iOS in iOS 14
 
I mean I was hoping for a full fledged, fully capable search engine that could dig back through years of text messages of meaningful conversations with people you care about from the people who made Spotlight so awesome on the Mac, because while ok on mobile it still pales in comparison...but cool you brought search to emojis, no that’s cool. I guess we will wait five more years for that? Maybe 10?

Mostly joking but have you ever tried to search for a text you know is there that‘s a couple of years old?
 
So this is how using emojis will work:

Jack sends a message to Jill and wants to use a sprout emoji, so he searches the word "sprout", finds it, pastes it and sends the message on it's way.

Jill opens the message from Jack and sees a green emoji thing but doesn't know what it is, so she searches it and the word "sprout" pops up.

Brilliant way to communicate
 
Ok, now how about the ability to search within a discussion thread in iMessage for specific words/phrases? Coworker gave me their mailing address at Christmas and I wanted to send them a birthday card last week but apparently I forgot to save their address. Since there is no way to search specific conversations I had to scroll through our entire history for over an hour to find the stupid address, skipping it twice because I was so irritated by the process I missed it the first two times around. Yes I could have just asked him for it but that would have ruined the surprise angle I was going for.
I hate to be one of those guys, but Android can do this so why can't iMessage?
 
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Reactions: japanime
This is the one reason why i keep G-Board around too is nearly gone since they introduced the "glide" typing. The emoji search is so useful in google keyboard. people talking about the quick type don't get it. Writing "red" wont' bring up all the red coloured emoji.
 
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Reactions: svenning
Because it’s soooo much easier to text search for an emoji than just typing the actual word. /s
 
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