Ryan Hellyer

<p>This plugin disables the WordPress emoji functionality, removing unnecessary code bloat that adds support for emojis in older browsers.</p>
<h4>What it does</h4>
<ul>
<li>Removes the emoji detection script from <code>wp_head</code> and the admin</li>
<li>Removes emoji styles from <code>wp_print_styles</code> and admin</li>
<li>Removes emoji DNS prefetching, preventing connections to <code>s.w.org</code></li>
<li>Removes the <code>wpemoji</code> TinyMCE plugin</li>
<li>Strips emoji CDN hostname from DNS prefetch hints</li>
</ul>
<h4>Performance & Privacy</h4>
<p>Emojis will still display in modern browsers that have built-in support. This plugin simply removes the extra HTTP requests and JavaScript overhead for browsers that don’t need it. Additionally, it prevents DNS prefetching to WordPress.org’s emoji CDN, improving privacy.</p>
<p>Note: Emoticons like <code>:)</code> will continue to work as expected.</p>
<h4>Requirements</h4>
<ul>
<li>PHP 7.4+</li>
<li>WordPress 5.0+</li>
</ul>
<h4>GDPR compliancy</h4>
<p>This plugin does not send any data to external servers. It disables DNS prefetching of emojis within WordPress, which should ensure improved privacy. To determine if your site is GDPR compliant, please seek legal advice. I have done my best to ensure the plugin is 100% GDPR compliant, but I am not a lawyer so cannot guarantee anything.</p>
<h4>Architecture</h4>
<p>The plugin uses:</p>
<h4>Quality</h4>
<p>All code uses <code>declare(strict_types=1)</code> and follows PSR-12. The plugin runs the following tooling:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>PHP_CodeSniffer</strong> (run via <code>composer phpcs</code>) — sniffs for PSR-12 violations</li>
<li><strong>PHP-CS-Fixer</strong> (run via <code>composer cs</code>) — dry-run style check</li>
<li><strong>PHPStan</strong> at level 6 (run via <code>composer phpstan</code>) — static analysis</li>
</ul>


Disable Emojis (GDPR friendly)

should add this one as well !

remove_action( 'embed_head', 'print_emoji_detection_script' );

another remove filter to add to the too long list !

No configuration needed. No ads. Does the job.

Clean

Disable Emojis by Ryan Hellyer is a gem! With 60k+ active installs and nearly perfect 5-star rating, it's clearly doing something right. This lightweight plugin strips out WordPress's bloated emoji code while keeping your content looking great in modern browsers. The GDPR-friendly bonus is huge - it stops DNS prefetching to external emoji servers, protecting visitor privacy. Ryan's been maintaining this for years and it shows. Your site loads faster, stays compliant, and emojis still work naturally. Win-win-win!

Clean Up Your Site & Improve GDPR Compliance


It's so rare to find a plugin these days that has no bloat, no upsells, no ANYTHING beyond exactly what's needed to get the job done. Thank you!


Small but mighty

Disable the WordPress emoji functionality to improve performance and privacy.

Christian Leuenberg

<p>WordPress comes with a built-in replacement function that turns 🙂 etc. into emojis. If you need to switch this off, simply install and activate this plugin. It’s that simple.</p>


Really Disable Emojis

Disables the automatic emojis (smilies) replacement function. Really! :-)

Disable Emojis (GDPR friendly) vs Really Disable Emojis