If you are writing a text message, an email or a note and want to add a emoticon, it is as simple as a tap on your keyboard. You don’t need to copy and paste from other sources. There are a host of smiley faces, creatures, flowers, shapes and assorted what-nots all built into your iPad/iPhone keyboard. They just hide well.

So let’s find them. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > International Keyboards > Add a New Keyboard > Emoji.

Now let’s type some text.

Pull up a blank email, and start to type your message. Now look at your keyboard. See the globe on the bottom, to the left? Tap the globe. You are now looking at a multitude of smiley faces. Swipe the screen and you’ll see more, then more.

Now look at the bottom of this new keyboard. You’ll see a clock, a smiley face, a flower, a bell, a car and some punctuation symbols. Tap the clock to see the last symbols you have used. Tap any of the others and you will find pages and pages of cars, sporting equipment, animals, food, symbols, etc. Swipe each page to the left for more.

To insert them into your text message or email, just touch the symbol that you want. Then, to return to the regular keyboard, tap the globe.

One important note: These will only work when sent to other iOS devices….to other iPhones and iPads.