Windows has a built-in emoji picker you can open with a keyboard shortcut

The fastest way to insert an emoji on Windows is to press Windows key + period (or Windows key + semicolon). A panel will open showing hundreds of emojis organized by category — faces, hearts, animals, food, symbols, and more. Click any emoji to insert it into whatever you're typing, whether that's an email, a document, a chat message, or a social media post.

This emoji picker works in almost any Windows application where you can type text. It's built into Windows 10 and Windows 11, so you don't need to download anything or change any settings. The panel stays open until you close it, so you can insert multiple emojis in a row without reopening it each time.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Windows key + period to open the emoji picker on any Windows computer running Windows 10 or later.
  • You can search for emojis by typing a word like "smile" or "heart" instead of scrolling through categories.
  • The emoji picker also includes kaomoji (text-based faces like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) and special symbols in separate tabs.
  • If the keyboard shortcut doesn't work, check that you're using Windows 10 version 1803 or later, or Windows 11.

How to search for a specific emoji

When the emoji picker opens, you'll see a search box at the top. Type any word related to the emoji you want — "laugh", "thumbs", "fire", "pizza" — and the panel will filter to show only matching emojis. This is much faster than scrolling through all the categories if you know what you're looking for.

The search works on emoji names, not just what they look like. So typing "happy" will show you smiling faces, and typing "celebration" will show balloons, confetti, and party poppers. If you're not sure what an emoji is called, try a few related words and see what appears.

Finding emojis by category

Below the search box, the emoji picker shows tabs for different categories: smileys and people, animals and nature, food and drink, travel and places, activities, objects, and symbols. Click any tab to see all emojis in that group. You can scroll through the emojis in each category to browse without searching.

At the bottom of the panel, you'll also see tabs for "kaomoji" (Japanese-style text faces like (´・ω・`) and ಠ_ಠ) and "symbols" (mathematical signs, arrows, and other special characters). These are useful if you want something beyond the standard emoji set.

What to do if the emoji picker doesn't open

The Windows key + period shortcut only works on Windows 10 version 1803 or later, and all versions of Windows 11. If you have an older version of Windows 10, the shortcut won't work. To check your version, press Windows key + R, type "winver", and press Enter. The window that opens will show your Windows version number.

If you're on an older version and want to use the emoji picker, you can update Windows. Go to Settings, click Update & Security, and then click Check for Updates. Windows will download and install any available updates, which may take several minutes.

If you're already on a recent version and the shortcut still doesn't work, try Windows key + semicolon instead — some keyboard layouts use the semicolon key rather than the period key. If neither works, restart your computer and try again.

Using emojis in different applications

The emoji picker works in most places where you type on Windows. You can use it in email clients like Outlook, in web browsers when typing in Gmail or social media, in Microsoft Word and other Office applications, in Discord and Slack, and in text editors. It even works in some games that have chat features.

The one place it may not work is in very old applications or specialized software that doesn't use Windows's standard text input system. If the emoji picker doesn't open in a particular program, try copying and pasting an emoji from another source instead — you can search for emojis online and paste them directly into the application.

Copying emojis from the web as an alternative

If the keyboard shortcut isn't working or you prefer not to use it, you can search for emojis on websites like emojipedia.org or getemoji.com. Find the emoji you want, copy it (usually by clicking a copy button), and paste it into your document or message with Ctrl + V.

This method is slower than using the built-in picker, but it works on any version of Windows and in any application that accepts pasted text. Some people also keep a text file with their favorite emojis saved so they can copy them quickly when needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I customize which emojis appear in the picker?

No, the emoji picker shows the same set of emojis for all users. However, you can use the search box to narrow down what you see, and the picker remembers which emojis you use most often — your frequently used emojis appear at the top of the panel for quick access.

Why do some emojis look different on my Windows computer than on my phone?

Different devices use different emoji designs. Windows has its own emoji style, iPhones have a different style, and Android phones have another. The emoji itself is the same (a smiley face is a smiley face), but the artwork varies by manufacturer. This is normal and expected.

Do I need an internet connection to use the emoji picker?

No, the emoji picker is built into Windows and works offline. You can insert emojis into documents and messages without being connected to the internet. The emoji will only be sent or shared when you send the message or upload the document.

What's the difference between the emoji picker and the on-screen keyboard?

The emoji picker (Windows key + period) is designed specifically for emojis and is much faster. The on-screen keyboard is a full keyboard you can click with your mouse, which includes letters, numbers, and symbols but is slower for finding emojis. Use the emoji picker for emojis and the keyboard for everything else.