How to do emoji shortcut on computer?

Emojis have become an integral part of digital communication in recent years. They allow us to express emotions and ideas in a fun visual way. While emojis originated on mobile devices, most operating systems now allow you to use emojis on your desktop or laptop computer as well. There are a few different methods you can use to access emojis and emoji keyboards on computers. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the various ways to do emoji shortcuts on Mac, Windows, Chromebook, and Linux computers.

What are Emojis?

Before we dive into how to use emojis on computers, let’s first understand what exactly emojis are. Emojis (also sometimes referred to as emoticons) are digital images or icons used to express ideas, concepts, and emotions in electronic communications. Some common examples of emojis include the smiling face 😊, thumbs up 👍, heart ❤️, and laughing crying face 😂.

Emojis originated in the late 1990s in Japan, where they were initially used on early mobile phones. They became widely popular outside of Japan starting in 2011 when Apple added an emoji keyboard to iOS. Since then, emojis have exploded in popularity and are now supported on nearly every device and operating system.

Emojis allow us to communicate visually and add color, emotion, and fun to messages. They can help convey tone and feeling in digital communications that can sometimes be difficult to interpret via plain text. Emojis are also often used as a kind of digital shorthand to express ideas quickly and efficiently.

Why Use Emojis on Computers?

Here are some of the key reasons why using emojis on desktop and laptop computers can be beneficial:

Express emotion and ideas visually – Emojis can help convey feeling, emotion, and tone over written communication.

Enhance and lighten up messages – Emojis allow you to add humor, fun and color to conversations.
Communicate across language barriers – Emojis can be universally understood regardless of language.
Speed up communication – Emojis can quickly portray ideas that would otherwise require lengthy descriptions in text.

Show reactions – Instead of writing out reactions like “haha” or “yay”, you can just useemoji reactions.
Represent concepts and objects – Emojis can visually represent physical objects, concepts, places, weather, and more.

Being able to access and use emojis on desktop and web applications allows for a consistent experience with the emojis you use on mobile. It makes it easy to continue conversations across devices.

Ways to Use Emojis on Computers

There are a few different methods you can use to access emojis and emoji keyboards on computers. The options available depend on your operating system.

On Mac Computers

Mac computers provide built-in support for emojis. Here are the ways to access emojis on Mac OS:

Emoji Keyboard – Macs come with a built-in emoji keyboard that you can enable to open up emoji options as you type. To enable it:
- Click the Apple menu > System Preferences > Keyboard > Input Sources > Check the box next to “Emoji & Symbols”.
- Now you can press Control + ⌘ + Space to open the emoji keyboard and select emojis as you type.
Emoji Menu – You can also open an emoji menu by clicking Edit > Emoji & Symbols from any app that supports text entry. This will bring up an emoji selection menu.

Emoji Shortcuts – Start typing a word like “smile” and select the matching emoji as a suggestion.
Character Viewer – Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Character Viewer.app. This gives you a panel for browsing and inserting various symbols and characters.

On Windows Computers

Windows 10 and 11 also have built-in emoji support, though you may need to enable the emoji keyboard first. Here are the methods to use emojis on Windows:

Windows Key + . – Open the emoji panel with the Windows key plus the period key shortcut. Select an emoji to insert it.
Windows Emoji Keyboard – Enable the Windows emoji keyboard in your system settings:
- Open Settings > Time & Language > Language.
- Click “English (United States)” and click Options.
- Under Keyboards, check the box for “United States-International keyboard”.
- Click Add a keyboard > Emoji.

On-Screen Keyboard Shortcut – Open the on-screen keyboard (with Windows key + Ctrl + O) and click the emoji button to select emojis with your mouse.
Character Map – Use the Character Map app to copy and paste emojis.

On Chromebooks

Chromebooks also come with built-in emoji support:

Emoji Keyboard – Click the status area in the bottom right corner > Select Settings > Device > Keyboard. Enable the setting for “Show Emoji keyboard”
Search Emojis – Click the Everything button on your shelf and search for “emoji”. Select Emoji to open the picker.
Chrome OS Emoji Panel – Press Search + Shift + Space to open an emoji panel. Click an emoji to insert it.

On Linux

Linux desktop environments like GNOME and KDE provide emoji picker apps:

GNOME Characters App – Search for “Characters” and open the app. Click an emoji to copy it.
KDE Emoji Selector – Search for “Emoji selector” and open the app. Click an emoji to insert it.

ibus-emoji Input Method – Install ibus-emoji with your package manager and switch your input method to it to access emoji typing.

Enabling Emoji Fonts

To properly view and use emojis on your computer, you need to have a font installed that supports emoji characters. Most modern operating systems come with emoji fonts already installed or available to install:

Windows – Microsoft has the Segoe UI Emoji font installed by default on Windows 10 and 11.

Mac – Apple Color Emoji font is installed by default and supports emoji.
Chrome OS – Noto Color Emoji font supports emoji characters.
Linux – Many Linux distributions now include the Noto Color Emoji font. If not pre-installed, it can usually be downloaded from your distribution’s repositories.

If you have installed an operating system or fonts that do not include emoji support, you may see black and white symbols or blocks where emojis should appear. Installing a color emoji font will fix this issue.

Using Emojis Across Devices and Operating Systems

One great thing about emojis is that they provide a universal visual language that can be understood across devices, operating systems, and languages. Any emoji you use will generally be supported across platforms:

Emojis you use on an iPhone will appear on Android

Emojis used on Snapchat on your phone will show up in WhatsApp web on your PC
Your Slack messages will have the same emoji reactions whether your teammates are on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, or Android.

However, there can occasionally be minor differences in how certain emojis are displayed. For example, the design of emojis may vary slightly between Apple, Google, Samsung and other vendors. But these inconsistencies are rare and don’t impact the meaning.

Newer emojis may also take some time to roll out across all platforms after being added to the Unicode standard. But they’ll typically reach full support across devices within a few months.

Common Emoji Misconceptions

There are a few common misconceptions about using emojis that are worth clarifying:

You don’t need a smartphone – While emojis originated on mobile phones, desktop operating systems like Windows, Mac, Linux, and ChromeOS have full emoji support built-in.

Not just for chatting – While emojis are great for quick informal messages, they can also be appropriate for more formal business correspondence in many cases.
Doesn’t only appeal to young people – While adopted by younger generations first, emojis are now used by all age groups to communicate visually.
Aren’t ruining language – Some view emojis as harmful to literacy and language skills, but when used effectively they can enhance communication.

Not just a silly fad – Emojis have become an important and ubiquitous part of digital communication, and are here to stay.

So feel free to embrace emojis even in professional and formal contexts. When used appropriately, they can lighten the mood and clarify your message.

Best Practices for Using Emojis

To make sure you’re using emojis most effectively, keep these best practices in mind:

Use context restraint – Make sure your emojis fit the tone of the conversation.
Don’t overdo them – Use emojis to punctuate text, not replace it entirely.
Position appropriately – Put emojis at natural pause points in sentences.

Use universally understood emojis – Avoid niche emojis recipients may not understand.
Don’t just reply with emojis – Pair emojis with text for clarity.
Add emojis to business communication – But use judiciously according to audience.

Keep them small – Up to three per message is usually sufficient.
Combine emojis for concepts – You can “construct” new meanings by pairing emojis.

Following these emoji best practices will ensure you enhance your communication without overdoing it on the fun visual elements.

Do’s and Don’ts of Emoji Use

Here are some specific do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when using emojis in various situations:

Business Emails

DO use one or two subtle emojis to greetings or closings
DON’T include many emojis or over-the-top ones throughout

DO use emojis in internal communications at work
DON’T assume colleagues are comfortable using emojis

Texting Friends

DO go wild with emojis in texts to close friends!

DO make sure friends know their emoji use is welcome
DON’T solely reply back with strings of emojis
DON’T text emoji-only messages without context

Social Media

DO use emojis in social media posts and reactions
DO consider audience – use emojis and restraint appropriately
DON’T include emojis in every single post if it doesn’t fit your brand

DON’T go overboard – emojis can appear unprofessional if overused

Keep these handy do’s and don’ts in mind when using emojis across different digital communications!

Troubleshooting Emoji Issues

In some situations, you may run into issues using emojis on your computer. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

Can’t Find Emoji Keyboard

Make sure your operating system supports emojis and the emoji keyboard is enabled in your keyboard settings.
Try updating your OS to the latest version if the emoji option is missing.
On Windows, ensure the US International keyboard is added and Emoji panel enabled.

Emojis Appear as Black & White

You likely need an emoji font installed. Download a color emoji font like Noto or Segoe UI Emoji.
Make sure your app supports emoji fonts. Try switching to a different app.
Force quit and relaunch the app to load the installed emoji fonts.

Emojis Don’t Display Correctly

Make sure you have the latest OS and emoji font updates installed.
The app or website may not support the newer emojis yet. Use more common emojis.
Try copying and pasting the emoji into a different app to see if it displays properly.

Debugging emoji issues usually involves updating your system software and fonts, or ensuring your app has full emoji support. Refer to your operating system’s help documentation if you are still unable to view or insert emojis.

The Future of Emojis

The world of emojis is continuously evolving. Here’s what we can expect in the future of emojis:

More diversified and representative emojis – Skin tones, gender options, disabilities, occupations, and other categories are becoming more inclusive.

Increased adoption in business – Emotional intelligence is a valued skill, driving business emoji use.
Focus on expressing emotions – Expect more emojis focused on sharing emotional states and reactions.
Integration into culture – Pop culture, fashion, and everyday life will integrate emojis more and more.

Higher resolution and fidelity – Retina and 3D emojis are allowing more detail and realism.
Animation and personalization – Personalized Memoji and animated emojis are evolving as a new form of expression.
Seamless cross-platform support – Emojis will work flawlessly across all devices, OSs, and apps.

The vibrant language of emojis makes communication more emotional, expressive, and engaging. As technology improves, we can look forward to emojis becoming an even more central part of our digital interactions.

Conclusion

Emojis have transformed digital communication by allowing us to express ourselves visually. Thankfully accessing emojis is straightforward on desktop and laptop computers, with built-in emoji keyboard and picker options across operating systems like Windows, Mac, ChromeOS, and Linux.

Enabling your emoji keyboard and installing color emoji fonts will open up a fun new element in your computer messaging and expression. With emoji support widely available across platforms, you can now stay in the conversation and react with emojis from any device. Use them to add color, emotion and creativity to your chats, emails, documents, and more!