iOS 18.1 brings new features, but emojis and stickers are having a meltdown

Apple’s iOS 18.1 update has finally arrived, packed with new features, essential fixes, and that much-needed performance boost. Yet, with the rollout of any major OS update, there are always a few surprises. And, sure enough, the quirks have shown up, hitting one of the most essential parts of the iPhone experience: the emoji keyboard. Users of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, in particular, are running into a couple of frustrating emoji and sticker bugs that make updating feel a bit risky.

For me, the plan was always to wait for an incremental update like iOS 18.1 to steer clear of the early-update bugs that often plague first adopters. My iPhone is still on iOS 17.7, and while I’d been eyeing the update button now that iOS 18.1 has rolled out, seeing the avalanche of reports about these emoji issues has me thinking twice.

For some brave souls who dove straight into iOS 18.1, opening the emoji keyboard now reveals grey or blank spots where our frequently used emojis should be. Reports of this strange placeholder bug are popping up across Reddit and social media, and it’s safe to say users are not exactly amused. Below is a screenshot of this glitch shared on Reddit.

In fact, this is an issue that even made a brief appearance in the iOS 18.1 beta and even in the release candidate, where users flagged it early on. For those already stuck with it, a temporary fix seems to be floating around — turning off Stickers in keyboard settings. While it’s not ideal, it’s giving users a keyboard free of random grey spots at the cost of disabling Stickers entirely. I was hoping for a smoother experience with iOS 18.1, but this emoji placeholder bug isn’t exactly making me rush for the update. Unfortunately, one user on iOS 18.2 beta 1 says the bug still persists.

Alongside this, Apple decided to give the emoji keyboard a supersized look in iOS 18.1, and user reactions have been … mixed, to say the least. With larger-than-life emojis and stickers suddenly cozying up in the same space, the keyboard has turned into a bit of an emoji parade. While the goal was clearly to add some extra flair, the oversized design change is a bit much for those of who prefer a simpler layout. But of course, there are many others who love the new-look emoji keyboard.

The reaction among early adopters has been, let’s say, colorful. Some are calling it an “abomination” and wish the sleek, streamlined keyboard would make a comeback. Reports on beta forums show this isn’t a new problem either; users had flagged it in testing, hoping for tweaks before the final version dropped. Yet, iOS 18.1 went full speed ahead, rolling out the larger keyboard in its final form. Honestly, this change isn’t a problem for me but it’s obviously a big deal for others, so if you’re in the latter camp you might want to wait — at least until the next patch scales things back a bit.

With the iOS 18.1 emoji drama in full swing, it seems Apple has once again left early adopters a bit shell-shocked. While Apple hasn’t commented yet on these specific bugs, they’re likely hard at work ironing things out for a future patch. So, while I’m holding off just a little longer, I know I’ll eventually update. Until then, I’ll keep a close eye on these quirks, hoping Apple dials back the emoji parade and leaves the blank spots in the past.