If you’ve been enjoying “spicing up” your text messages with emoji’s—those small, digital icons used to express an idea or emotion—here’s a fun way too take it a little further. Move beyond your phone’s built-in emoji keyboard and shake things up by exploring the many options you can download and use for free for both Android smartphones and iPhone.
There are dozens of clever emoji keyboards to choose from, offering everything from animated emoji to gifs to stickers to themes. Here are three that we recommend. You can get these from the Google Play store (for Android) or App Store (for iPhone), and just follow the instructions below to activate and use them.
Gboard: On top of handy features like swipe-to-text, Gboard lets you search for emoji, keep track of your most-used emoji, add stickers—even animated ones—to your texts, and use gifs and old-fashioned emoticons.
To use Gboard, install it from the App Store or Google Play. Afterwards, users should go into Settings and tap Enable (Android) or Get Started (iPhone).
Microsoft SwiftKey: SwiftKey learns your writing style, even your slang, nicknames and favorite emoji — which, along with its customization features, sets it apart from other keyboards. You can add free themes to your keyboards, as well as individual themes and theme packs
To enable SwiftKey and make it your default keyboard on Android, tap Settings, then Language & input, then SwiftKey. For iPhone, tap General, then Keyboard, then Add New Keyboard. You’ll see all the keyboards you have installed on your device. Choose SwiftKey to enable it. To make it your default, tap Edit and drag it to the top of the list.
Bitmoji: If you’ve used Snapchat, you’ve likely seen Bitmoji’s—the little cartoon avatars styled after the user. You can set it up manually or through the Bitmoji app. After you sign up in the app, tap the Globe icon to open the Keyboard tab and follow the prompts to enable the keyboard. To manually set up the keyboard, install the app and tap Settings. From there, tap Languages and Input, then Virtual (or On-screen keyboard)and Manage Keyboards. Finally, toggle on Bitmoji Keyboard. Explore these free emoji keyboards or any of the other entertaining options out there to keep your text messages fresh and fun!
Where do I send a damaged phone that is covered by the Consumer Cellular Square trade Protection plan???????
Hi Jonathan, thanks for your question! I’m sorry to hear about your phone, what you will want to do is call Allstate (SquareTrade) to set up a claim. They can be reached at 1-877-927-7268. When the new phone is received, there will then be instructions for where to send the damaged phone and how to get it cleared of your information.
hi, i am karen cruse, have been on the phone for hours, no luck now i am on the computer, no luck
Hi Karen, thanks for your post. We understand that the wait times are frustrating for our customers, and we are diligently hiring and training new agents to get this resolved for our customers. This process can take time because we want to make sure our agents are properly trained to provide the best customer service possible, and we appreciate your patience during this time.
Recently purchased a IPhone, the Apple Tech said I needed a new SIM card. Also with my present monthly billing there is a charge for cell phone insurance, as I took coverage with Apple I wouldn’t need the Consumer Cellular insurance.
Hi Edward, thanks for your post. We’d be happy to help with getting a new SIM set up and cancel the protection plan on your account. Give us a call at 800-686-4460 or chat with one of our agents here for further assistance with this.
I’ve tried to ask a question but after a number of hours on hold there is never at answer. One of my three attempts provided a “call back” but even that didn’t happened. You may indeed need to hire more phone reps, but in the interim have Ed Evans and other corporate bigwigs step up and take calls. That’s what I did when I was in management. Remember, you are supposed to be in the communications business. Shame on you.
I need to return my grand pad I need the return items
Hi Larry, thanks for your post. If you need to see about setting up a return for a device, give us a call at 800-686-4460 or chat with one of our agents here for further assistance with this.
Why does my phone say Network not available. I just got my new consumer cellular phone and set it up but can’t make a call.
Hi Lela, thanks for your post. If it was just activated, make sure you’ve powered the phone completely off, leave it off for a few seconds, then power it back on again to allow for the activation to go through. If you continue to have trouble with it, give us a call at 800-686-4460 or chat with one of our live agents here for further assistance.
I’m looking to upgrade my phone from the Samsung Galaxy S7 that I currently use, which is not 5G compatible. However, Consumer Cellular currently offers no Samsung phones for purchase and I have no interest in buying anything other than a Samsung smart phone. The Android phones that Consumer Cellular is currently offering for sale are not compatible for direct streaming with my hearing aids and I have no interest in switching to an iphone. Does Consumer Cellular plan to restore Samsung phones to its offerings?
Hi Edward, thanks for your question. We definitely understand how frustrating this has been for our customers. We’re currently waiting on the manufacturer to send us more of this product, but we don’t have an exact date for when we will have more in stock for this specific model. We’d recommend keeping an eye on the website in this case since they will be posted there first once we do have them back in stock.