Emoji are a widely used and popular way to communicate online, whether they are used sparingly or frequently. They allow us to express emotions and convey meaning through the use of images such as smiley faces, unicorns, and birthday cakes.
While using emoji on an iPhone or iPad is straightforward, as the emoji button is easily accessible on the keyboard, accessing them on a Mac may not be as obvious. However, it is still possible to use emoji on a Mac with the use of keyboard shortcuts. In this guide, we will show you how to easily access and use emoji on your Mac.
How to type emoji on Mac by the character palette
To type emoji on a Mac using the character palette, follow these steps:
- Open the character palette by going to “Edit” in the top menu bar and selecting “Emoji & Symbols.” You can also use the keyboard shortcut “Control + Command + Space” to open the palette.
- The character palette will open, displaying a list of various characters and symbols. To find the emoji you want to use, click on the “Emoji” category in the left-hand menu.
- Scroll through the list of emoji or use the search bar at the top to find the specific emoji you want to use.
- When you find the emoji you want to use, click on it to select it. The emoji will be inserted into your document or message at the cursor location.
- Close the character palette when you are finished using it.
Note: The character palette is available in all Mac applications that support text input.
How to use emoji on Mac by the Edit menu
To use emoji on a Mac through the Edit menu, follow these steps:
- Open the application you want to use the emoji in (e.g. TextEdit, Mail, Messages).
- Place your cursor at the location where you want to insert the emoji.
- Go to the “Edit” menu in the top menu bar and select “Emoji & Symbols.” You can also use the keyboard shortcut “Control + Command + Space” to open the emoji and symbols menu.
- A small emoji and symbols window will appear, displaying a list of various characters and symbols. To find the emoji you want to use, click on the “Emoji” category in the left-hand menu.
- Scroll through the list of emoji or use the search bar at the top to find the specific emoji you want to use.
- When you find the emoji you want to use, double-click on it to insert it into your document or message at the cursor location.
- Close the emoji and symbols window when you are finished using it.
Note: The emoji and symbols menu is available in all Mac applications that support text input.
Emoji keyboard shortcuts
You can use keyboard shortcuts to quickly insert emoji on a Mac. Here are some examples of keyboard shortcuts you can use:
To insert the smiley face emoji (😀), press “Control + Command + Space” to open the emoji and symbols menu, then type “smiley” in the search bar and select the smiley face emoji from the results.
To insert the heart emoji (❤️), press “Control + Command + Space” to open the emoji and symbols menu, then type “heart” in the search bar and select the heart emoji from the results.
To insert the thumbs up emoji (👍), press “Control + Command + Space” to open the emoji and symbols menu, then type “thumbs up” in the search bar and select the thumbs up emoji from the results.
Note: These keyboard shortcuts may not work in all applications. If the shortcut doesn’t work, try using the Edit menu or character palette method to insert emoji.
In Conclusion
To conclude, using emoji on a Mac is easy and convenient with the use of the character palette, Edit menu, or keyboard shortcuts. Emoji are a fun and expressive way to communicate online, and with these methods, you can easily access and use them on your Mac.
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