Custom Code Snippet to Disable WordPress Emoji Script

Solution to Disable WordPress Emoji Scripts

Here's a simple code snippet that removes WordPress emoji scripts and related code from your site:

Add this code to your theme's functions.php file or in a site-specific plugin:

function disable_wp_emojis() {
    remove_action('wp_head', 'print_emoji_detection_script', 7);
    remove_action('admin_print_scripts', 'print_emoji_detection_script');
    remove_action('wp_print_styles', 'print_emoji_styles');
    remove_action('admin_print_styles', 'print_emoji_styles');
    remove_filter('the_content_feed', 'wp_staticize_emoji');
    remove_filter('comment_text_rss', 'wp_staticize_emoji');
    remove_filter('wp_mail', 'wp_staticize_emoji_for_email');
    
    // Remove TinyMCE emojis
    add_filter('tiny_mce_plugins', 'disable_emojis_tinymce');
    
    // Remove emoji DNS prefetch
    add_filter('emoji_svg_url', '__return_false');
}
add_action('init', 'disable_wp_emojis');

function disable_emojis_tinymce($plugins) {
    if (is_array($plugins)) {
        return array_diff($plugins, array('wpemoji'));
    }
    return array();
}

This code:

• Removes emoji detection scripts from front-end and admin
• Removes emoji styles
• Removes emoji from RSS feeds
• Removes emoji from emails
• Disables emoji in TinyMCE editor
• Removes emoji DNS prefetch

Plugin Alternative

If you prefer using a plugin, here are reliable options:

1. Disable Emojis - A lightweight plugin specifically designed for this purpose
2. Asset CleanUp - A more feature-rich plugin that can disable emojis along with other optimizations

Impact

Disabling emojis can:

• Reduce HTTP requests
• Remove unnecessary JavaScript
• Slightly improve page load time
• Clean up your site's header

The code solution is preferred as it's lighter than installing a plugin for this single purpose.