How To Get Emojis On Your Windows 10 Keyboard: Steps Explained

By Sharmishte Datti

| Updated: Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 16:00 [IST]

Emojis have become a convenient way to express emotions while messaging. Sending emojis when texting on our smartphones is a lot easier, but it's slightly more complicated when we try to use it on our Windows PC. While Mac PCs have a dedicated keyboard shortcut, one needs to put in more effort on a Windows PC.

Thankfully, Microsoft has released an update, which has simplified emojis on Windows. We've chalked out a list of how to get emojis on your Windows PC, including shortcuts.

How To Make Emojis

Microsoft added an emoji picker accessible via a simple keyboard shortcut: Press Windows and the period button. (Win + .). It will automatically open the emojis picker. It can also be accessed by pressing the Windows and the semicolon button (Win + ;).

How To Type Emojis

Once the emoji picker appears (by pressing Win + .), users can easily access the emoji they need. By default, Microsoft shows the most recently used icons, but other emojis can also be accessed. For instance, one can click on the People tab to select the skin tones and more.

Users should also note that there's no search bar in the emojis picker. But they can simply type the emoji they wish to use, avocado for instance. The window pops up will narrow down the relevant emojis.

How To Add Emojis

As mentioned above, users can access the emojis picker following the path. If users wish to place an emoji in a chat window or a Word file, they simply need to open the emojis picker in that window. By clicking on the desired emoji, Microsoft automatically places it in that text box or doc file.

Keyboard Shortcuts For Emojis

Microsoft rolled out an update for Windows 10 back in May 2019. The company introduced full-fledged support for emojis and kaomoji (emojis using Japanese characters) symbols. There are a couple of shortcuts for a simple smile or sad emojis like a colon and a closed/open parenthesis, which automatically converts into an emoji. But a wide range of emojis can be accessed via the emoji window.

How To Enable/Disable Emojis

The new update has eased accessing emojis by simply pressing Win and . or the Win and ; buttons together. Once an emoji is used, the box automatically disappears. This means that users will need to enable the emojis window every time they wish to use an emoji or they can copy-paste the same one. Also, it isn't a movable or a draggable window and remains in place, unless used or closed by pressing the X button.