How to type emoji on Mac
To type emoji on Mac you need no extra keyboard or app: macOS has an emoji picker that opens right at the cursor in any app where you can type. This guide shows how to open it, how to make the Globe key do it, how to pick skin tones and favorites and what to do if the picker doesn’t open.
How to type emoji on Mac with a shortcut
- Click in a text field, a message or a document, where the emoji should go.
- Press Control-Command-Space, or Fn-E (Globe-E). You can also choose Edit › Emoji & Symbols in the menu bar.
- Click an emoji to insert it. To find one faster, type a word like heart or laughing face in the search field at the top.
Another way: type a word such as heart and press Fn-E right after it. The Mac suggests matching emoji. Press Return to use the suggestion or click another one.
Make the Globe key open emoji
On newer Mac keyboards the Fn key has a globe on it. One press of it can open the emoji picker:
- Choose Apple menu › System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
- Open the Press Globe key to menu. On older keyboards it is called Press fn key to.
- Choose Show Emoji & Symbols.
Skin tones, favorites and the full Character Viewer
- Skin tone: click and hold an emoji to see its variations, then click the one you want.
- Full Character Viewer: click the expand button in the top-right corner of the picker. It shows every category in a sidebar, from arrows to math symbols and letters of other languages. In the expanded view, double-click a character to insert it.
- Favorites: in the expanded viewer, select an emoji or a symbol and click Add to Favorites. Favorites show at the top of the small picker, below the ones you used recently.
If the emoji picker doesn’t open
- Click into a text field first. The picker inserts into the place where you type, so it needs a cursor.
- If Fn or Globe switches the keyboard language instead, change the key setting as shown above, or use Control-Command-Space.
- Another app may have taken Control-Command-Space for itself. Try Edit › Emoji & Symbols in that app’s menu.
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Questions and answers
What is the emoji shortcut on Mac?
Control-Command-Space. On a keyboard with the Globe key, Fn-E works too. Both open the emoji picker at the cursor.
How do I change the skin tone of an emoji on Mac?
Click and hold the emoji in the picker. A row of variations appears, and you pick the one you want.
Where is the emoji keyboard on a MacBook?
There is no separate emoji keyboard. Press Fn-E or Control-Command-Space and the picker opens. You can also set the Globe key to open it in System Settings › Keyboard.