PHP : writing a simple removeEmoji function

Question

I'm looking for a simple function that would remove Emoji characters from instagram comments. What I've tried for now (with a lot of code from examples I found on SO & other websites) :

// PHP class public static function removeEmoji($string) {     // split the string into UTF8 char array     // for loop inside char array         // if char is emoji, remove it     // endfor     // return newstring } 

Any help would be appreciated

Answer 1

I think the preg_replace function is the simpliest solution.

As EaterOfCode suggests, I read the wiki page and coded new regex since none of SO (or other websites) answers seemed to work for Instagram photo captions (API returning format) . Note: /u identifier is mandatory to match \x unicode chars.

public static function removeEmoji($text) {      $clean_text = "";      // Match Emoticons     $regexEmoticons = '/[\x{1F600}-\x{1F64F}]/u';     $clean_text = preg_replace($regexEmoticons, '', $text);      // Match Miscellaneous Symbols and Pictographs     $regexSymbols = '/[\x{1F300}-\x{1F5FF}]/u';     $clean_text = preg_replace($regexSymbols, '', $clean_text);      // Match Transport And Map Symbols     $regexTransport = '/[\x{1F680}-\x{1F6FF}]/u';     $clean_text = preg_replace($regexTransport, '', $clean_text);      // Match Miscellaneous Symbols     $regexMisc = '/[\x{2600}-\x{26FF}]/u';     $clean_text = preg_replace($regexMisc, '', $clean_text);      // Match Dingbats     $regexDingbats = '/[\x{2700}-\x{27BF}]/u';     $clean_text = preg_replace($regexDingbats, '', $clean_text);      return $clean_text; } 

The function does not remove all emojis since there are many more, but you get the point.

Please refer to unicode.org - full emoji list (thanks Epoc)

Answer 2

As apple continues to add emojis to new versions of ios, i will be updating and maintaining this answer.

This answer has been updated for ios 12.1. If you have problems, then please check the edit history for previous versions of this answer (having multiple regex in this answer exceeds SO's max post body length)

Beta Version for ios 12.1 (Nov, 2018)

public static function removeEmoji($string)     return preg_replace('/[\x{1F3F4}](?:\x{E0067}\x{E0062}\x{E0077}\x{E006C}\x{E0073}\x{E007F})|[\x{1F3F4}](?:\x{E0067}\x{E0062}\x{E0073}\x{E0063}\x{E0074}\x{E007F})|[\x{1F3F4}](?:\x{E0067}\x{E0062}\x{E0065}\x{E006E}\x{E0067}\x{E007F})|[\x{1F3F4}](?:\x{200D}\x{2620}\x{FE0F})|[\x{1F3F3}](?:\x{FE0F}\x{200D}\x{1F308})|[\x{0023}\x{002A}\x{0030}\x{0031}\x{0032}\x{0033}\x{0034}\x{0035}\x{0036}\x{0037}\x{0038}\x{0039}](?:\x{FE0F}\x{20E3})|[\x{1F415}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F9BA})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F467}\x{200D}\x{1F467})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F467}\x{200D}\x{1F466})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F467})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F466}\x{200D}\x{1F466})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F466})|[\x{1F468}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F468}\x{200D}\x{1F467}\x{200D}\x{1F467})|[\x{1F468}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F468}\x{200D}\x{1F466}\x{200D}\x{1F466})|[\x{1F468}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F468}\x{200D}\x{1F467}\x{200D}\x{1F466})|[\x{1F468}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F468}\x{200D}\x{1F467})|[\x{1F468}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F468}\x{200D}\x{1F466})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F469}\x{200D}\x{1F467}\x{200D}\x{1F467})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F469}\x{200D}\x{1F466}\x{200D}\x{1F466})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F469}\x{200D}\x{1F467}\x{200D}\x{1F466})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F469}\x{200D}\x{1F467})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F469}\x{200D}\x{1F466})|[\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{2764}\x{FE0F}\x{200D}\x{1F469})|[\x{1F469}\x{1F468}](?:\x{200D}\x{2764}\x{FE0F}\x{200D}\x{1F468})|[\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{2764}\x{FE0F}\x{200D}\x{1F48B}\x{200D}\x{1F469})|[\x{1F469}\x{1F468}](?:\x{200D}\x{2764}\x{FE0F}\x{200D}\x{1F48B}\x{200D}\x{1F468})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F9BD})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F9BC})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F9AF})|[\x{1F575}\x{1F3CC}\x{26F9}\x{1F3CB}](?:\x{FE0F}\x{200D}\x{2640}\x{FE0F})|[\x{1F575}\x{1F3CC}\x{26F9}\x{1F3CB}](?:\x{FE0F}\x{200D}\x{2642}\x{FE0F})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F692})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F680})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{2708}\x{FE0F})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F3A8})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F3A4})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F4BB})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F52C})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F4BC})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F3ED})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F527})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F373})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F33E})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{2696}\x{FE0F})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F3EB})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F393})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{2695}\x{FE0F})|[\x{1F471}\x{1F64D}\x{1F64E}\x{1F645}\x{1F646}\x{1F481}\x{1F64B}\x{1F9CF}\x{1F647}\x{1F926}\x{1F937}\x{1F46E}\x{1F482}\x{1F477}\x{1F473}\x{1F9B8}\x{1F9B9}\x{1F9D9}\x{1F9DA}\x{1F9DB}\x{1F9DC}\x{1F9DD}\x{1F9DE}\x{1F9DF}\x{1F486}\x{1F487}\x{1F6B6}\x{1F9CD}\x{1F9CE}\x{1F3C3}\x{1F46F}\x{1F9D6}\x{1F9D7}\x{1F3C4}\x{1F6A3}\x{1F3CA}\x{1F6B4}\x{1F6B5}\x{1F938}\x{1F93C}\x{1F93D}\x{1F93E}\x{1F939}\x{1F9D8}](?:\x{200D}\x{2640}\x{FE0F})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F9B2})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F9B3})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F9B1})|[\x{1F468}\x{1F469}](?:\x{200D}\x{1F9B0})|[\x{1F471}\x{1F64D}\x{1F64E}\x{1F645}\x{1F646}\x{1F481}\x{1F64B}\x{1F9CF}\x{1F647}\x{1F926}\x{1F937}\x{1F46E}\x{1F482}\x{1F477}\x{1F473}\x{1F9B8}\x{1F9B9}\x{1F9D9}\x{1F9DA}\x{1F9DB}\x{1F9DC}\x{1F9DD}\x{1F9DE}\x{1F9DF}\x{1F486}\x{1F487}\x{1F6B6}\x{1F9CD}\x{1F9CE}\x{1F3C3}\x{1F46F}\x{1F9D6}\x{1F9D7}\x{1F3C4}\x{1F6A3}\x{1F3CA}\x{1F6B4}\x{1F6B5}\x{1F938}\x{1F93C}\x{1F93D}\x{1F93E}\x{1F939}\x{1F9D8}](?:\x{200D}\x{2642}\x{FE0F})|[\x{1F441}](?:\x{FE0F}\x{200D}\x{1F5E8}\x{FE0F})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1E9}\x{1F1F0}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F3}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}\x{1F1FA}](?:\x{1F1FF})|[\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1F0}\x{1F1F1}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1FA}](?:\x{1F1FE})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F8}](?:\x{1F1FD})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1F0}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F7}\x{1F1F9}\x{1F1FF}](?:\x{1F1FC})|[\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1F1}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}](?:\x{1F1FB})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EA}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1ED}\x{1F1F1}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F3}\x{1F1F7}\x{1F1FB}](?:\x{1F1FA})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1EA}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1ED}\x{1F1EE}\x{1F1F1}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}\x{1F1FE}](?:\x{1F1F9})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1EA}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1EE}\x{1F1F1}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F7}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1FA}\x{1F1FC}](?:\x{1F1F8})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EA}\x{1F1EB}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1ED}\x{1F1EE}\x{1F1F0}\x{1F1F1}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F3}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}](?:\x{1F1F7})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1EE}\x{1F1F2}](?:\x{1F1F6})|[\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1EF}\x{1F1F0}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F3}](?:\x{1F1F5})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1E9}\x{1F1EB}\x{1F1EE}\x{1F1EF}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F3}\x{1F1F7}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}](?:\x{1F1F4})|[\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1ED}\x{1F1EE}\x{1F1F0}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}\x{1F1FA}\x{1F1FB}](?:\x{1F1F3})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1E9}\x{1F1EB}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1ED}\x{1F1EE}\x{1F1EF}\x{1F1F0}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F4}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}\x{1F1FA}\x{1F1FF}](?:\x{1F1F2})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1EE}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F3}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}](?:\x{1F1F1})|[\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1E9}\x{1F1EB}\x{1F1ED}\x{1F1F1}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}\x{1F1FD}](?:\x{1F1F0})|[\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E9}\x{1F1EB}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}](?:\x{1F1EF})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EB}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1F0}\x{1F1F1}\x{1F1F3}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1FB}](?:\x{1F1EE})|[\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EA}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1F0}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}](?:\x{1F1ED})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1E9}\x{1F1EA}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1F0}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F3}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}\x{1F1FA}\x{1F1FB}](?:\x{1F1EC})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F3}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F9}\x{1F1FC}](?:\x{1F1EB})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E9}\x{1F1EA}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1EE}\x{1F1EF}\x{1F1F0}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F3}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F7}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1FB}\x{1F1FE}](?:\x{1F1EA})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1EE}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}](?:\x{1F1E9})|[\x{1F1E6}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EA}\x{1F1EE}\x{1F1F1}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F3}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}\x{1F1FB}](?:\x{1F1E8})|[\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1F1}\x{1F1F8}](?:\x{1F1E7})|[\x{1F1E7}\x{1F1E8}\x{1F1EA}\x{1F1EC}\x{1F1F1}\x{1F1F2}\x{1F1F3}\x{1F1F5}\x{1F1F6}\x{1F1F8}\x{1F1F9}\x{1F1FA}\x{1F1FB}\x{1F1FF}](?:\x{1F1E6})|[\x{00A9}\x{00AE}\x{203C}\x{2049}\x{2122}\x{2139}\x{2194}-\x{2199}\x{21A9}-\x{21AA}\x{231A}-\x{231B}\x{2328}\x{23CF}\x{23E9}-\x{23F3}\x{23F8}-\x{23FA}\x{24C2}\x{25AA}-\x{25AB}\x{25B6}\x{25C0}\x{25FB}-\x{25FE}\x{2600}-\x{2604}\x{260E}\x{2611}\x{2614}-\x{2615}\x{2618}\x{261D}\x{2620}\x{2622}-\x{2623}\x{2626}\x{262A}\x{262E}-\x{262F}\x{2638}-\x{263A}\x{2640}\x{2642}\x{2648}-\x{2653}\x{265F}-\x{2660}\x{2663}\x{2665}-\x{2666}\x{2668}\x{267B}\x{267E}-\x{267F}\x{2692}-\x{2697}\x{2699}\x{269B}-\x{269C}\x{26A0}-\x{26A1}\x{26AA}-\x{26AB}\x{26B0}-\x{26B1}\x{26BD}-\x{26BE}\x{26C4}-\x{26C5}\x{26C8}\x{26CE}-\x{26CF}\x{26D1}\x{26D3}-\x{26D4}\x{26E9}-\x{26EA}\x{26F0}-\x{26F5}\x{26F7}-\x{26FA}\x{26FD}\x{2702}\x{2705}\x{2708}-\x{270D}\x{270F}\x{2712}\x{2714}\x{2716}\x{271D}\x{2721}\x{2728}\x{2733}-\x{2734}\x{2744}\x{2747}\x{274C}\x{274E}\x{2753}-\x{2755}\x{2757}\x{2763}-\x{2764}\x{2795}-\x{2797}\x{27A1}\x{27B0}\x{27BF}\x{2934}-\x{2935}\x{2B05}-\x{2B07}\x{2B1B}-\x{2B1C}\x{2B50}\x{2B55}\x{3030}\x{303D}\x{3297}\x{3299}\x{1F004}\x{1F0CF}\x{1F170}-\x{1F171}\x{1F17E}-\x{1F17F}\x{1F18E}\x{1F191}-\x{1F19A}\x{1F201}-\x{1F202}\x{1F21A}\x{1F22F}\x{1F232}-\x{1F23A}\x{1F250}-\x{1F251}\x{1F300}-\x{1F321}\x{1F324}-\x{1F393}\x{1F396}-\x{1F397}\x{1F399}-\x{1F39B}\x{1F39E}-\x{1F3F0}\x{1F3F3}-\x{1F3F5}\x{1F3F7}-\x{1F3FA}\x{1F400}-\x{1F4FD}\x{1F4FF}-\x{1F53D}\x{1F549}-\x{1F54E}\x{1F550}-\x{1F567}\x{1F56F}-\x{1F570}\x{1F573}-\x{1F57A}\x{1F587}\x{1F58A}-\x{1F58D}\x{1F590}\x{1F595}-\x{1F596}\x{1F5A4}-\x{1F5A5}\x{1F5A8}\x{1F5B1}-\x{1F5B2}\x{1F5BC}\x{1F5C2}-\x{1F5C4}\x{1F5D1}-\x{1F5D3}\x{1F5DC}-\x{1F5DE}\x{1F5E1}\x{1F5E3}\x{1F5E8}\x{1F5EF}\x{1F5F3}\x{1F5FA}-\x{1F64F}\x{1F680}-\x{1F6C5}\x{1F6CB}-\x{1F6D2}\x{1F6D5}\x{1F6E0}-\x{1F6E5}\x{1F6E9}\x{1F6EB}-\x{1F6EC}\x{1F6F0}\x{1F6F3}-\x{1F6FA}\x{1F7E0}-\x{1F7EB}\x{1F90D}-\x{1F93A}\x{1F93C}-\x{1F945}\x{1F947}-\x{1F971}\x{1F973}-\x{1F976}\x{1F97A}-\x{1F9A2}\x{1F9A5}-\x{1F9AA}\x{1F9AE}-\x{1F9CA}\x{1F9CD}-\x{1F9FF}\x{1FA70}-\x{1FA73}\x{1FA78}-\x{1FA7A}\x{1FA80}-\x{1FA82}\x{1FA90}-\x{1FA95}]/u', '', $string); }