diff --git a/native/components/emoji-keyboard.react.js b/native/components/emoji-keyboard.react.js
index b1cd863c7..31266cd5e 100644
--- a/native/components/emoji-keyboard.react.js
+++ b/native/components/emoji-keyboard.react.js
@@ -1,35 +1,51 @@
 // @flow
 
 import * as React from 'react';
 import EmojiPicker from 'rn-emoji-keyboard';
 
+const categoryOrder = [
+  'recently_used',
+  'smileys_emotion',
+  'people_body',
+  'animals_nature',
+  'food_drink',
+  'travel_places',
+  'activities',
+  'objects',
+  'symbols',
+  'flags',
+  'search',
+];
+
 export type EmojiSelection = {
   +emoji: string,
   +name: string,
   +slug: string,
   +unicode_version: string,
   +toneEnabled: string,
   +alreadySelected?: boolean,
 };
 
 type Props = {
   +onEmojiSelected: (emoji: EmojiSelection) => mixed,
   +emojiKeyboardOpen: boolean,
   +onEmojiKeyboardClose: () => mixed,
 };
 
 function EmojiKeyboard(props: Props): React.Node {
   const { onEmojiSelected, emojiKeyboardOpen, onEmojiKeyboardClose } = props;
 
   return (
     <EmojiPicker
       onEmojiSelected={onEmojiSelected}
       open={emojiKeyboardOpen}
       onClose={onEmojiKeyboardClose}
       enableSearchBar
       enableSearchAnimation={false}
+      enableRecentlyUsed
+      categoryOrder={categoryOrder}
     />
   );
 }
 
 export default EmojiKeyboard;