iOS 27 Genmoji Gets Fixes and a New “Suggested Genmoji” Feature

Apple wants users to give iOS 27 Genmoji another look. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company is revisiting its AI-powered emoji feature in the upcoming software update — not only fixing some of its long-standing problems but also adding a clever new layer on top.

For anyone who tried Genmoji early on and walked away unimpressed, this may be the moment to reconsider.

What Genmoji Actually Is

For those unfamiliar, Genmoji is an Apple Intelligence feature that lets you use AI to create entirely new emoji characters based on text input. Type a description, and the system generates a custom emoji to match.

One of its standout traits is privacy-friendly design. All Genmoji generation happens directly on-device, meaning your inputs don’t need to be sent off to a server. In theory, it’s a fun and personal way to spice up messages.

In practice, however, the feature has had a bumpy ride.

A Rocky Start for Genmoji

Gurman doesn’t shy away from describing the problems Genmoji has faced since launch.

In his latest Power On newsletter, he points to two main issues. First, the generated images often looked nothing like the polished, appealing examples Apple showed off in its marketing. The gap between expectation and reality left many users disappointed.

Second, there was a performance cost. The AI models powering Genmoji were demanding enough to heat up iPhones and drain their batteries — hardly the lightweight, effortless experience users expect from an emoji tool.

Together, those flaws made Genmoji feel more like a rough experiment than a finished feature.

Apple’s Fixes for iOS 27

The good news is that Apple appears to have addressed these complaints.

According to Gurman, the company has made tweaks so that the overheating and battery-draining behavior no longer happens. While the report doesn’t dive into the technical specifics, the message is clear: Genmoji should now run more smoothly and efficiently than before.

That alone could be enough to win back users who abandoned the feature out of frustration.

Meet “Suggested Genmoji”

On top of the fixes, Apple is introducing a brand-new addition called “Suggested Genmoji.”

Rather than leaving you to come up with emoji ideas entirely on your own, this feature reportedly offers custom emoji suggestions automatically. It does so by drawing on your media and text history, surfacing ideas that fit how you actually communicate.

A few key details stand out:

• The feature is said to be optional in the next iPhone and iPad software update
• It will be controlled through a toggle in the Keyboard settings of iOS 27
• According to Gurman, that toggle reads: “Suggested Genmoji are created from your photos and your commonly typed phrases.”

In other words, Suggested Genmoji aims to make the feature feel more proactive and personal — while still leaving users in control of whether they want it switched on.

When iOS 27 Arrives

Apple won’t keep fans waiting long for an official look. iOS 27 will be previewed at WWDC next month, with a full public release expected in the fall.

That timeline gives the company a clear stage to showcase its refreshed approach to Genmoji, alongside whatever else iOS 27 has in store.

The Bottom Line

The iOS 27 Genmoji update reflects a familiar Apple pattern: take a feature that stumbled at launch, quietly fix what went wrong, and add something new to make it more appealing. With the overheating and battery issues reportedly resolved and the convenient Suggested Genmoji feature on the way, Genmoji finally has a chance to deliver on its original promise.

Whether users embrace it this time will depend on how well those fixes hold up in everyday use. But for now, Apple’s message is simple — Genmoji is worth a second look when iOS 27 arrives this fall.