Can emojis in an ArcGIS Survey123 response be restricted?

Answer

In ArcGIS Survey123, although the entry of specific characters, including emojis, can be restricted using the regex() function, it is not possible to restrict all emojis in a response. This is because listing all the emojis in the regex() function is not feasible. This issue typically occurs when data are collected using mobile phones, causing issues with data analysis and reporting.

As a workaround, create a select_one or select_multiple question type with a predefined choice list that does not contain emojis and set the appearance to autocomplete. Doing so prompts survey respondents to select responses only from the choice list. In cases where the responses must be long and elaborated, instead of configuring the regex() function to restrict emojis, configure the function to only allow specific characters or formats as inputs.

Refer to the first two methods in How To: Set consistent formatting and spelling for responses in ArcGIS Survey123 for instructions to the workarounds.