You click into a message or document, but the emoji keyboard is nowhere obvious. The fix depends on whether you are using Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Linux, or an app with its own emoji menu. Start with your computer's built-in shortcut, then use the app-specific tools below when you are working in Docs, Word, Slack, Teams, Discord, Gmail, or WhatsApp.
1. Start with the Windows emoji panel
On a current Windows PC, the fastest route is the built-in emoji panel.
- 1.Click inside the text field where the emoji should appear.
- 2.Press Windows logo key + . or Windows logo key + ;.
- 3.Select an emoji from the panel, or type in the panel to search.
It works from text fields, documents, messages, and search boxes that accept emoji input. Microsoft keyboards with a dedicated emoji control use the same idea with less typing: press the Emoji key or Expressive key, then select an emoji from the panel that opens.
For an on-screen option in Windows 11, use the touch keyboard instead.
- 1.Right-click the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings.
- 2.Under System tray icons, set Touch keyboard to Always or When no keyboard attached.
- 3.Click the Touch keyboard icon in the system tray.
- 4.Select the Emoji button on the touch keyboard, then choose an emoji.
For Windows 11 voice access, open the touch keyboard, turn on Voice access, say the number shown for the Emoji button, then say the number shown for the emoji you want.
2. Open Character Viewer on a Mac
- 1.Click where the emoji should appear.
- 2.Press Fn / Globe + E, or press Control + Command + Space bar.
- 3.Click an emoji in Character Viewer.
- 4.Click and hold an emoji to choose a variation such as skin tone.
macOS puts emojis in Character Viewer, and those shortcuts are the direct ways to open it from a text field. The menu route is just as official when an app exposes the standard macOS menu: click where you want the emoji, then choose Edit > Emoji & Symbols.
To make the keyboard key open emojis by default, go to Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard, open the Press fn key to or Press Globe key to pop-up menu, then choose Show Emoji & Symbols. To add the same tool to the menu bar, go to Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit, turn on Show Input menu in menu bar, then choose Show Emoji & Symbols from the input menu.
3. Set emoji shortcuts and Genmoji on Mac
For emoji phrases you type repeatedly, macOS text replacements turn a short trigger into an emoji.
- 1.Open Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements.
- 2.Click Add.
- 3.Put the trigger text in Replace.
- 4.Put the emoji in With.
- 5.Click Add, then click Done.
- 6.In an app that needs the substitution setting enabled, open Edit > Substitutions and turn on Text Replacement.
On Mac computers with Apple silicon, supported languages and regions, the latest macOS, Apple Intelligence turned on, and a supported app, you can also create Genmoji.
- 1.Open Apple menu > System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri.
- 2.Click the button next to Apple Intelligence or click Turn on Apple Intelligence.
- 3.While writing in a supported app, press Fn / Globe + E.
- 4.Click the Genmoji button in Character Viewer.
- 5.Describe the Genmoji, then click Add.
4. Bring up the Chromebook emoji picker
- 1.Right-click a text field and select Emoji.
- 2.Or press Search + Shift + Space.
- 3.On keyboards with a Launcher key, press Launcher + Shift + Space.
- 4.Choose Emoji, Symbols, Emoticons, or GIFs, or use the search bar.
Those are the Chromebook picker routes from the text field itself or with the keyboard shortcut. For the ChromeOS on-screen keyboard, use the accessibility setting first.
- 1.Select the time at the bottom right.
- 2.Open Settings > Accessibility.
- 3.Under Keyboard and text input, turn on On-screen keyboard.
- 4.Open the on-screen keyboard.
- 5.Select Emoji at the bottom, then choose the emoji or graphic.
ChromeOS also supports emoji suggestions in supported websites and apps such as Google Chat. When a suggestion appears, press Up arrow or Down arrow to move through it, then press Enter. To edit the shortcut, open the Shortcuts app, select Text, find Insert an emoji, hover over it, then choose Edit, Delete, or Restore defaults.
5. Use the Linux emoji tools
GNOME and Ubuntu Desktop use a simple emoji picker in supported text fields.
- 1.Click in a text field.
- 2.Press Ctrl + ;.
- 3.Browse the categories at the bottom, or type a description in the search field.
- 4.Select an emoji to insert it.
GNOME also includes the Characters app for browsing and copying emoji: open Activities, launch Characters, search or browse emoji, then select the emoji and copy and paste it or insert it as offered by the app.
On RHEL 9 GNOME and Linux desktops using IBus emoji input, click in a text field, press Ctrl + ., type a keyword such as smile, repeatedly press Space to browse the emoji that match your keyword, then press Enter. On KDE Plasma, press Meta + . to open Emoji Selector, click an emoji, then paste it where needed when the selector copies it to the clipboard. You can also open it from Applications > Utilities.
6. Insert emojis in documents and email
- Google Docs: open a document, click Insert > Symbols > Emoji, or type @emoji and press Enter, or type : plus a search term such as :cat and press Enter. Choose the emoji.
- Google Sheets: click Insert > Emoji, or type @emoji.
- Google Docs colon shortcut: to turn it off, open Tools > Preferences, then uncheck Insert emojis using the colon character.
- Word for the web: open Insert > Emoji, select an emoji, or select More Emojis.
- Word desktop: for an exact Unicode character, open Insert > Symbol > More Symbols to find the character code, or type a Unicode hex code in the document and press Alt + X.
- Outlook for Windows: click in the message body, press Windows logo key + ., select an emoji, then close the picker with X.
- Gmail on computer: open a message, click Add emoji reaction at the top of the message next to Reply or below the message, then select an emoji.
Document and email apps have their own emoji paths, which helps when the system picker is not the fastest route. Word and classic Outlook for Windows also use Office AutoCorrect entries for punctuation-to-emoji conversion.
To remove one in Word, go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > Replace text as you type, type the punctuation in Replace, select the entry, then choose Delete. In classic Outlook, go to File > Options > Mail > Editor Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > Replace text as you type, then delete the entry the same way.
7. Pick emojis in chat apps
Chat apps hide emojis behind their own compose-box controls, colon shortcuts, and reaction buttons.
- Microsoft Teams Free: in the compose box, select Emoji, GIFs, and Stickers > Emoji, search or browse, then select an emoji. You can also type :, start an emoji name such as :smile:, then select a suggestion or press Enter for the top match.
- Slack message: type a standard emoji code using : followed by the code or alias. Or click the smiley face icon in the message field, browse or search, then click an emoji.
- Slack reaction: hover over a message, click Add reaction, then select an emoji. Click or tap your highlighted reaction again to remove it.
- Discord: in the desktop app or browser, hover over or click the grayed-out Emoji Picker button to the right of the text bar, then select an emoji. Hold Shift and left-click to place multiple emojis.
- WhatsApp Web and Desktop on Windows: press Ctrl + Alt + E to open the Emoji Panel.
- WhatsApp Web and Desktop on Mac: press Command + Control + E to open the Emoji Panel.
Custom emoji works only where the account, server, workspace, or organization allows it. In Teams, select Emoji, GIFs and Stickers > Emoji > Your org's emoji > Add emoji, choose an image or GIF file, create a name, then select Add emoji. In Slack, click the smiley face icon in the message field, choose Add Emoji, then upload and name the emoji. In Discord, use Server Settings > Emoji, or open Emoji Picker > Add Emoji on desktop or browser, choose a file, edit and name it, choose the server, then click Upload Emoji. In Google Chat, custom emoji is for Google Workspace work and school accounts when the admin has enabled it, and custom emojis stay inside the organization.
8. Handle managed computers and older instructions
- Microsoft Teams admins control custom emoji upload and delete permissions in Teams admin center messaging policies.
- Slack workspace owners and admins control custom emoji permissions from Admin > Workspace settings > Roles & permissions > Account types.
- Google Workspace admins control Chat custom emoji in Google Admin console > Apps > Google Workspace > Google Chat > Emoji Options.
Work and school accounts add policy controls on top of the normal emoji tools. Windows device administrators can also disable the touch keyboard emoji button through the TextInput policy TouchKeyboardEmojiButtonAvailability. On a managed PC where the touch keyboard emoji button is missing, use the standard Windows logo key + . emoji panel or the app's own emoji menu.
Ignore older guides that frame Windows 10 as the current consumer target. Windows 10 general support ended on October 14, 2025; the current Windows path here is Windows 11. The Windows 11 emoji panel, macOS Character Viewer, ChromeOS picker, GNOME and KDE tools, app menus, and copy-and-paste route are the current methods covered above.
When none of the built-in controls are convenient, copy an emoji, symbol, emoticon, or GIF you find elsewhere and paste it into the target text field. The target app or font must support that emoji or graphic for it to display correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What keys open emojis on Windows?
Click in a text field, then press Windows logo key + . or Windows logo key + ;. On Microsoft keyboards with an Emoji or Expressive key, press that key to open the emoji panel.
How do I type emojis on a Mac without the mouse?
Press Fn / Globe + E, or press Control + Command + Space bar, then use Character Viewer to choose an emoji. Set the Fn or Globe key to Show Emoji & Symbols in System Settings > Keyboard for direct access.
How do I get emojis on a Chromebook?
Right-click a text field and choose Emoji, or press Search + Shift + Space. On keyboards with a Launcher key, press Launcher + Shift + Space.
Can I stop Google Docs from turning colon text into emojis?
Yes. In Google Docs on a computer, open Tools > Preferences, then uncheck Insert emojis using the colon character.
Why is custom emoji missing in Slack, Teams, Discord, or Google Chat?
Custom emoji depends on workspace, server, account, or organization permissions. Teams, Slack, Discord, and Google Chat each give admins or owners controls over who can create, upload, manage, or delete custom emoji.
