Apple’s popular Animoji (and Memoji) are only available on iPhones and iPads with Face ID. But that doesn’t mean you’re totally out of luck on older devices. Follow along for how to get ‘Animoji’ on older iPhones and iPads without Face ID.
If you or your kids are wanting to have some fun with animated emoji, but don’t have a compatible device to use Apple’s official software, there are a handful of options out there (well more than that, but decent choices are limited).
On an iPhone or iPad with Face ID, users can find and use Animoji and Memoji by tapping the monkey face icon in the App strip in iMessage and apps like FaceTime. On non-supported devices, the process isn’t as smooth with third-party software, but is still easy enough to use and can even be used for free.
Note: Apps like these can sometimes lean towards feeling a bit scammy, so be cautious before spending any money on Animoji alternatives.
How to get ‘Animoji’ on older iPhones and iPads without Face ID
- Download one of the apps listed below like EMOJI Face Recorder
- Open it and choose and record your Animoji substitute
- Look for the share button to send via iMessage and more
- Follow along below for more specifics
EMOJI Face Recorder
This app offers a range of classic emoji, animals, characters and more to record your facial expressions and voice to. It uses the front facing camera, and tracking isn’t great, but you can get okay results that are still fun to share with others. Just make sure to look at the camera and don’t use any fast movements.
Some caveats, it is a free app, but some characters are restricted via an in-app purchase. Otherwise the free version includes ads. There is a paid VIP version for $10.
EMOJI Face recorder has an average of 4.2/5 stars on over 2,000 reviews.
Supermoji
Supermoji may have the most animated emoji options, but it is also the most expensive offers a rough user experience when it comes to heavily promoting the paid subscription version of the app.
It allows users to record facial expressions and sound to the various characters and is a bit more responsive than EMOJI Face Recorder, but still is much less polished than Apple’s Animoji.
There is a free version, but a huge fullscreen ad pops up (see above) in-between creating your animated emoji which costs a salty $10/week after a free 3-day trial. A small button of text allows users to decline the purchase and continue with the free version after a timer counts down.
Supermoij isn’t likely the best fit for kiddos. That said, if you’re okay with navigating the aggressive paid tier advertising, the free version offers a wide range of animated emoji to choose from.
Interesting enough, Supermoji has 4.4/5 stars on over 50,000 reviews.
#facemoji
For those looking for something similar to Apple’s Memoji where you can make custom avatars to look like yourself…or not, #facemoji for iOS is a pretty good alternative. You’re not getting animated modeling based on your facial expressions, but it’s a like a simpler version of Bitmoji that can be fun to use across iPhone and iPad.
#facemoji is a free download from the App Store with no in-app purchases. It has an average of 4.8/5 stars on almost 2,000 reviews.
For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how to guide as well as the following articles:
- How to add a Santa hat to your Memoji with Animoji on iPhone and iPad
- How to search in the Messages app on iPhone
- How to add weather summary to your iPhone Lock screen
- How to enable Home Screen Sync on Apple TV
- How to turn off and restart iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max
- How to set up Apple Pay on MacBook Air
- How to enable Workout Do Not Distrub on Apple Watch
- How to customize Apple Watch notifications
- How to pair Bluetooth headphones on Apple Watch
- How to sync music and podcasts to Apple Watch from iPhone
- How to disable automatic app install on Apple Watch
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