Enable Japanese Emoji Icons Outside Of Japan [Updated With Better Alternative]

In the 2.2 update, Apple added Emoji support for customers living in Japan. Emoji is the Japanese equivalent of emoticons, only there are a ton more. More details here.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you feel about emoji) Apple has chosen to only allow Emoji in Japan although it is included in every copy of 2.2 and later. Clever hackers have since discovered ways of enabling them via jailbreak, but a clean no-hack method has recently been discovered; with the help of an app.

To enable Emoji, simply buy a Japanese RSS reader called FrostyPlace. It's $0.99, a small price to pay for the ability to annoy your friends with poop. Keep in mind that if you've updated to 2.2.1 you'll have to wait until the update to FrostyPlace has been pushed out. Until then, it only works in 2.2 (you can update to 2.2.1 after enabling Emoji without fear of losing it).

Once installed, run the app and tap on a story. Yes it's all in Japanese, don't worry. Once you're thoroughly confused, go back to your Home Screen, hit settings and go to General>Keyboard>International Keyboards>Japanese>and enable Emoji. That's it!

If you don't have the option for Emoji, play around with the app a little longer.

Update: Gary Fung, developer of Typing Genius, emailed to let us know that his application will now enable Emoji support in 2.2.1. Currently available at $0.99, Typing Genius' primary use is to aide in improving your iPhone typing speed. We haven't played with it much, but it looks good. At least it's an app you can actually understand!

Update #2: We've received word from jedimacfan of a free alternative for enabling Emoji. Spell Number [App Store] now includes an easter egg which enables Emoji if you type in 9876543.2. Once you do that, simply turn on Emoji and you're set!

Update #3:The Spell Number guys changed the Emoji code to 91929394.59 due to Apple not being happy with enablers. Shhhh! ;]

Thanks [TheBORG]!