If I had to choose between using traditional words or emoji for the rest of my life, I’d choose emoji every time. If you’re like me, pretty much every text convo involves at least one high-heel shoe, rainbow, or unicorn. Of course, not everyone is an emoji enthusiast (we call those people "crazy"). But for those of us who love emoji, we love them unconditionally.
Well — almost unconditionally. There is, actually, one complaint I’d like to lodge with the Emoji Authorities: There aren’t enough of them. For those of us who are emoji-obsessed, sometimes we get a little bored with our everyday, standard emoji keyboard. Sure, Apple throws us a bone every so often and gives us a small batch of new characters to play with. But it’s simply not enough. Thankfully, third-party keyboards are here to save the day.
We’ve rounded up 10 alternative emoji apps that will help you step up your texting game. We’ll leave no emoji stone unturned: from the notorious Kimoji (Kim Kardashian’s emoji app) to RuPaul’s Drag Race emoji to an app that can help you turn yourself into an emoji. Here, then, are 10 emoji keyboards that will change your life — or at least your texts.
Unless you’ve been living under a Kardashian-blocking rock, you’ve probably heard of Kim Kardashian’s emoji keyboard, Kimoji. Kimoji broke the internet upon its release: So many people were trying to get their hands on Kim’s NSFW emoji that the App Store temporarily crashed on the day of its debut. So, for those of you still dreaming of sending texts that include Kim’s notorious ass, head to the App Store to grab the app. Be warned, though, Kimoji comes at a price: $1.99, to be exact. Is it worth spending two dollars for the privilege of sending Kim’s cry-face? Only you can decide.
Photo: Courtesy of Whale Rock Media, LLC.
Nickelodeon’s The Splat Keyboard
Kids of the '90s rejoice! There is now an app that will pump your phone full of iconic Nickelodeon emoji, GIFs, and stickers — all based on your favorite '90s characters. Were you a Rugrats superfan? Text your friends a Lil and Phil sticker. Preferred Ren & Stimpy? Send your BF the Ren & Stimpy “butt clap” emoji. Or maybe Guts was more your jam? Well, this keyboard also has an Aggro Crag option. Bottom line: Whether you were obsessed with Rocko’s Modern Life or Hey Arnold! — this app has the emoji to satisfy your Nickelodeon nostalgia.
Photo: Courtesy of Nickelodeon.
Sure, Gabby Douglas may be a two-time gold medalist, but this Olympic gymnast has another achievement on her résumé: emoji creator. The Gabbymoji keyboard is the perfect way to increase your emoji flexibility with a bunch of Gabby-themed emoji, pictures, GIFs, and videos. Make sure to download before this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, so you can send Gabby-texts while watching her and the rest of the star-studded women's team kill it in the gymnastics competition.
Photo: Courtesy of Gabbymoji.
This is the emoji app for those of you who aren’t satisfied with simply texting emojis...because you want to be an emoji. BitMoji allows you to design your own emoji “avatar” (an emoji with your face), so you can appear in your own texts. The app is constantly updating, so your emoji self will never run out of adorable/obnoxious things to do! Also, BitMoji works across a variety of platforms, so you can let your emoji avatar run loose over Gmail, Facebook Messenger, Slack, and more.
Photo: Courtesy of BitMoji.
Feminist emoji? Heck, yeah, they’re a thing. Download SHE-MOJI and you’ll find yourself saying (and texting) “Yas Kween!” This one-of-a-kind keyboard celebrates women, with a diverse and fun lineup of 400 empowering emoji characters. Sure, it costs $1.99, but you can feel good about this splurge in the App Store: Half of all profits from SHE-MOJI sales are donated to the Malala Fund.
Photo: Courtesy of Karina de Alwis.
You betta work! Or in this case, you betta TEXT. The RuPaul’s Drag Race Keyboard is everything you could possibly want from a drag queen emoji generator: insane emoji of all your fave Drag Race Queens, GIFs of past contestants throwing shade, and enough liquid eyeliner to fill a small swimming pool. If you’re a fan of RuPaul, this app is a must. If you’re not a fan of RuPaul, well...you’re missing out, honey.
Photo: Courtesy of Snaps Media, Inc.
Finally, an emoji keyboard that stoners can get behind. Thanks to the twisted (and likely inebriated) minds at Adult Swim, there is now a keyboard featuring all your favorite characters from shows such as Robot Chicken, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Rick and Morty. In addition to emoji of all these characters, the app also features trippy GIFs and hilarious sound bites. Be warned, though: Early reviews of this brand-new app report that it can be somewhat buggy. But hey — let’s cut the programmers a break. They were probably stoned when making it.
Photo: Courtesy of Adult Swim.
For those of you who are obsessed with actor and singer Ansel Elgort, we have the answer to your emoji prayers. The ANSELFIE app gives you a whole arsenal of Ansel-themed emoji. Basically, Ansel has re-created every single emoji using his own face. He’s also created a few super-cute new ones, in an attempt to break your heart even more than he already has. One thing is for sure when it comes to the superior ANSELFIE: Ansel’s made us aware of The Fault in Our Emoji.
Photo: Courtesy of Jonah Kaner.
Does your boyfriend love sports but hate emoji? Well, get ready to rock his world with SportsManias, the world’s only animated sports emoji keyboard. SportsManias features emoji of today’s most famous athletes. Whether you’re a basketball, baseball, football, or even a hockey fan, this app has something for you. And in addition to emoji of all your favorite players, the app also features GIFs and a sports-meme maker. Double bonus: You can import all your fantasy teams into the app, so you can keep tabs on how you’re doing in your league.
Photo: Courtesy of Sportsmanias.
Shortly after Kim Kardashian’s Kimoji became a huge success, Blac Chyna released her very own emoji app. It’s not the first time that Blac Chyna has followed in a Kardashian’s Louboutin-ed footsteps. But although ChyMoji could be seen as a rip-off of Kim’s idea, Blac Chyna’s app is considerably sassier than Kim’s. ChyMoji features some truly jaw-dropping emoticons including a pregnant Chyna, a money rainstorm, Rob Kardashian wearing a Chyna hat, and a bag of weed.
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