How to type emoji on a Mac
Five ways, from the menu nobody uses to shortcodes that work in every app. All of them on a stock Mac except the last one, which needs a small free download.
:rocket, press Return, keep writing.| Method | Setup | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. ⌃⌘Space | None | Occasional emoji, works out of the box |
| 2. Globe key | One setting | Same picker, one key press |
| 3. Edit menu | None | When you've forgotten the shortcut |
| 4. Text replacements | Per emoji | Your five favorites, synced to iPhone |
| 5. Shortcodes | Install Mojito once | Frequent emoji, every app, keyboard only |
1. The keyboard shortcut: ⌃⌘Space
- Click into any text field.
- Press Control + Command + Space.
- Type a search term, then click an emoji or press Return to insert it.
This opens the emoji picker right where your cursor is. It's the best built-in option and worth memorizing even if you use nothing else on this page.
2. The Globe key
- Open System Settings → Keyboard.
- Set "Press 🌐 key to" → Show Emoji & Symbols.
- Tap fn (bottom-left key) in any text field.
Same picker as ⌃⌘Space, one key instead of three. Available on Macs with the Globe key, which is most of them since 2020.
3. Edit → Emoji & Symbols
Every Mac app with an Edit menu has Edit → Emoji & Symbols at the bottom. Handy exactly once: when you've forgotten the shortcut and need emoji anyway.
4. Text replacements
- Open System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements.
- Click + and map a phrase to an emoji —
brbto 🏃, for example. (Open the emoji picker with ⌃⌘Space to fill the "With" field.)
Instant and it syncs to your iPhone via iCloud. But each emoji needs its own hand-made rule, so it only scales to your top ten or so.
5. Shortcodes in any app (fastest)
If you've used Slack or Discord, your fingers already know this one: type : plus a few letters, pick from an autocomplete, done. Mojito brings that to the whole Mac — TextEdit, Mail, Notes, browsers, terminals, all of it. It matches by keyword too, so :happy finds 😀 even if you don't know the code, and it can also insert symbols (::lambda → λ) and GIFs (:::).
- Download Mojito and drag it to Applications.
- Grant accessibility permission (it needs to see the colon you type — keystrokes never leave your Mac).
- Type
:tadain any app and press Return. 🎉
Common questions
Why does ⌃⌘Space sometimes open a big character window?
The picker has two sizes. If you're seeing the full Character Viewer, click the small panel icon in its top corner to collapse it back to the compact picker.
Can I type emoji without the mouse at all?
Yes. In the built-in picker you can arrow around and press Return. With shortcodes it's even shorter: :fire then Return, no panel and no arrows on a good match.
Do emoji look the same on Windows and Android?
Each platform draws its own set, so details differ, and a very new emoji can take a while to show up on other systems. The character you send is standard Unicode either way.
More guides: Emoji shortcuts on Mac · Emoji shortcode cheat sheet · A better Mac emoji picker · All guides