You’ve probably been there: a friend sends a message studded with an emoji you’ve never seen before, and you have no idea what it means. Is it a fruit? A gesture? Something embarrassing you shouldn’t repost? Instead of guessing — or asking and admitting defeat — you can make your iPhone tell you exactly what any emoji is called. The trick uses a built-in accessibility feature, costs nothing, and works in seconds.
The secret is Speak Selection, part of iOS Spoken Content. Once enabled, your iPhone will read aloud the official name of any emoji you select — along with any other text you highlight. Here’s how to set it up.
How to look up an emoji’s meaning with Speak Selection
- Turn on Speak Selection. Open Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content, then toggle on “Speak Selection”. You can also adjust the speaking rate and pick a voice you like while you’re here.
- Open any text field. Launch Notes, or swipe down on the Home Screen to open Spotlight — any place where you can type works.
- Get the mystery emoji into the field. Switch to the emoji keyboard (enable it first under Settings > General > Keyboard if needed) and type it, or simply copy the emoji from the message where you saw it and paste it in.
- Select the emoji. Tap and hold the symbol, then drag the selection handles so the emoji is highlighted. A pop-up menu appears.
- Tap “Speak”. In the pop-up menu, tap Speak. iOS will read out the emoji’s official Unicode name — for example, “smiling face with smiling eyes” — so you know precisely what it depicts.
Love personalizing with emoji? You can also change a Mac folder’s color and add emoji to it for a more playful desktop.
If it still doesn’t work
If you don’t hear anything, first check that your volume is up and that Speak Selection is still toggled on — iOS occasionally turns it off after major updates. Also note that the Speak button only appears when text is actually selected; a single tap won’t do it. This feature was designed to help low-vision users, and it works on any selected text, not just emoji — try it on articles or messages too. Apple’s Accessibility support pages document all the Spoken Content options, and Emojipedia is a great visual reference for browsing what every emoji is officially called.
Frequently asked questions
Does this work for every emoji?
Yes. iOS reads the official Unicode name for any emoji in the current standard, including new releases. If an emoji looks like a blank box instead, your iOS version predates it — updating iOS adds the newest symbols.
Can I use this without turning on Speak Selection permanently?
You need Speak Selection enabled for the Speak button to appear, but you can toggle it off when you’re done. Alternatively, keep it on — it’s genuinely useful for proofreading messages, and if you’re tidying up your phone, check which built-in iPhone apps you can delete to free space at the same time.
Conclusion
No more guessing what that obscure emoji means. With Speak Selection enabled, your iPhone becomes a pocket emoji dictionary: select any symbol, tap Speak, and hear its official name in seconds. It’s fast, free, and already on your phone.
