To insert an emoji in Word, click where it should appear and open your computer’s emoji picker. On Windows press Windows key + period (.) or Windows key + semicolon (;). On Mac press Control + Command + Space. Choose an emoji, and it appears at the text cursor like any other character.
Insert an emoji in Word on Windows
- Open the document in Word and click in an editable paragraph where the emoji should go.
- Press Windows key + period (.) or Windows key + semicolon (;).
- Browse the emoji panel or use its search box to find the symbol you want.
- Select the emoji. Check that it appears at the intended cursor position, then close the panel if it stays open.
For example, to add a smile beside a greeting, place the cursor after the greeting before opening the picker. The shortcut opens a Windows panel, not a Word ribbon command, so it can also work in other editable apps.
Insert an emoji in Word on Mac
- Click where the emoji should appear in the document.
- Press Control + Command + Space to open Character Viewer. On supported keyboards, Fn + E is another shortcut.
- Search or browse for an emoji, then select it to insert it at the cursor.
- Close Character Viewer and review the result in the document.
If a shortcut has been customized or conflicts with an input-source setting, use macOS’s Edit > Emoji & Symbols menu when available. Apple calls the picker Character Viewer because it also includes non-emoji symbols.
Insert an emoji in Word on a phone, tablet, or the web
The Word mobile apps use your device’s keyboard for emoji.
- Tap in the document where the emoji should go.
- Tap the emoji or globe key on the on-screen keyboard to switch to the emoji keyboard.
- Tap the emoji you want.
- Switch back to the letter keyboard to keep typing.
In Word for the web, the same system shortcuts work in your browser: Windows key + period (.) on Windows or Control + Command + Space on a Mac.
Edit or remove an emoji afterward
Click next to the emoji and use Backspace or Delete as you would for ordinary text. To replace it, select the existing emoji before opening the picker again. You can change its font size through Word’s Home tab, but its color and drawing style may be controlled by the system emoji font rather than Word’s text-color setting.
Check how it will look to readers
The same emoji can look different on Windows, Mac, a phone, or in a PDF. If the document will be printed or shared widely, inspect print preview or export a PDF and check the result. Do not rely on an emoji alone to communicate essential meaning; add a short word or phrase beside it for clarity. If you need a mathematical, currency, or other non-emoji mark, use Word’s symbol tools instead. Our Word symbols guide covers that path.
Sources: Microsoft Support: Windows keyboard shortcuts; Apple Support: Mac keyboard shortcuts; Apple Support: emoji and symbols on Mac.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com