⌨️ Emoji Keyboard Shortcuts: How to Type Emoji on a Computer or Phone
The fastest way to add emoji on a computer is a keyboard shortcut. On Windows, press Win + .; on a Mac, press Control + Command + Space. An emoji window opens right next to your cursor. On a phone, tap the smiley button on your keyboard. Below are the steps for each device and what to do when the shortcut does nothing.
Emoji shortcuts by device
| Device | How to open | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 & 11 | Win + . or Win + ; | Emoji, kaomoji (text faces) and symbols in one panel |
| Mac | Control + Command + Space | Can also be set to the 🌐 (fn) key |
| Chromebook | Search + Shift + Space | Search is the key where Caps Lock usually is |
| iPhone & iPad | 😀 or 🌐 key on the keyboard | The emoji keyboard must be added in Settings |
| Android | Smiley key on the keyboard | Its position depends on your keyboard app |
Windows 10 and 11: Win + period
- Click a text box so the cursor is in it.
- Press Win + . (period). Win + ; (semicolon) opens the same panel.
- With the panel open, just start typing a word such as "heart" or "laugh" to search.
- Click an emoji to insert it. The tabs in the panel also hold kaomoji and symbols.
💡 It works in almost any place you can type: Notepad, browsers, desktop chat apps.
Mac: Control + Command + Space
- Place your cursor in a text field.
- Press Control + Command + Space. A small emoji picker pops up next to the cursor.
- Type in the search box at the top to filter.
- Click the expand button in the top-right corner to switch to the Character Viewer, which also lists arrows, shapes and other symbols.
💡 If your Mac has a 🌐 (fn) key in the bottom-left corner, go to System Settings > Keyboard and set that key to "Show Emoji & Symbols". One key press then opens the picker. You can also add Text Replacements there, for example turning ":fire:" into 🔥 automatically.
Chromebook: Search + Shift + Space
- Place your cursor in a text field.
- Press Search + Shift + Space. The Search (launcher) key sits where Caps Lock is on most other keyboards.
- Search for an emoji or pick one from the list.
iPhone and iPad
- Open Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards and check that Emoji is listed. If not, add it with "Add New Keyboard".
- While typing, tap the 😀 or 🌐 key in the bottom-left corner. Each tap on 🌐 switches to the next keyboard.
- Use the search bar at the top of the emoji keyboard to find one by name.
💡 As you type a word like "love" or "pizza", the suggestion bar often offers a matching emoji. Long-press emoji such as 👍 to choose a skin tone.
Android
- Tap the smiley key on your keyboard. Where it sits depends on the keyboard app; it is usually next to the comma key or in the toolbar above the letters.
- Search by word at the top of the emoji list.
- If you cannot see the key, turn on the emoji key option in your keyboard settings.
Chat apps: type a colon
- Many desktop and web chat apps let you type a colon followed by a word, such as ":smile", to bring up matching emoji.
- Use the arrow keys to pick one and press Enter.
💡 Each app has its own list of words, so the same code may not work everywhere.
Shortcut not working? Tap to copy
On this site, every emoji is copied the moment you tap it and also lands in the tray at the bottom of the screen, so you can collect several and paste them together. Your recent picks stay on the home page (saved on this device only). Try the most-used emoji below.
FAQ
Nothing happens when I press Win + period. Why?
Check that your cursor is inside a text box first; the panel will not open without one. A few games and older programs do not support it, so in that case copy the emoji from this site and paste it.
How do I change the skin tone?
The Windows panel has a skin tone picker at the top. On a Mac, click and hold an emoji; on a phone, press and hold it to see the tones. On this site, the skin tone buttons at the top change all hand and people emoji at once.
Why does the emoji I sent show up as a box (□)?
The other person's device or app does not know that emoji yet, which is common with newly released ones. It will display correctly after they update their system or app.
Is a typed emoji different from a copied one?
No. Both are the same Unicode character, so they work the same anywhere you paste them. Only the artwork differs a little between Windows, Mac and phone makers.