Windows Emoji Keyboard Shortcut: Emoji, Kaomoji, Symbols and GIFs

The Windows emoji keyboard shortcut is Windows key + period (.). Press it while you’re typing anywhere, in an email, a chat or a document, and the emoji panel appears. Windows key + semicolon (;) opens the same panel.

The panel works in Windows 10 and Windows 11, but the Windows 11 version does more: it also has GIFs, kaomoji, symbols and your clipboard history in one place.

How to use the emoji panel

1. Click where you want to type, so the text cursor is blinking there.
2. Press Windows key + period (.) or Windows key + semicolon (;).
3. Select an emoji with your mouse, or keep typing a word to search, for example heart or laugh.
4. Click the emoji to insert it.

Microsoft’s tip is simply to keep typing after the panel opens: the list filters as you type, so you rarely need to scroll.

Tip: The panel only opens where you can type text. If nothing happens, click inside a text box first and try again.

What’s in the Windows 11 emoji panel

On Windows 11, the panel has several sections. Microsoft lists them as:

Section	What you’ll find
Emoji	The standard emoji set, with search
GIF	Animated GIFs you can search and insert
Kaomoji	Text faces built from characters, like (^_^)
Symbols	Punctuation, accented letters and other special characters
Clipboard history	Recent items you’ve copied

You can move between sections with the mouse, or with the keyboard: Microsoft’s accessibility guide describes pressing Tab until you reach the section row, then using the Left and Right arrow keys and Enter to open one. Searching works across emoji, GIFs, kaomoji and symbols.

Use the emoji panel without a mouse

Everything in the panel works from the keyboard, which is also how Microsoft describes it for screen reader users on Windows 11:

1. Press Windows key + period (.).
2. Press Tab until you reach the row of sections (it starts at Most recently used).
3. Use the Left and Right arrow keys to pick a section, such as Kaomoji or Symbols, and press Enter to open it.
4. To search instead, press Tab until you reach the search field, type the name of the emoji, GIF, kaomoji or symbol, and press Enter.

Type special symbols without Alt codes

The Symbols section is the easiest way to insert characters that aren’t on your keyboard, such as accented letters or punctuation marks. Microsoft’s instructions:

1. Press Windows key + period (.).
2. Select Symbols in the emoji panel.
3. Scroll through the categories and select the symbol you want.

Windows 10 differences

On Windows 10, the same Windows key + period or semicolon shortcut opens the emoji panel. The difference is what’s inside: Microsoft’s Windows 10 instructions mention emoji, Kaomoji and Symbols, but not GIFs or clipboard history in the panel. For other special characters on Windows 10, Microsoft’s tips page still describes holding the Alt key and typing a code.

Note: Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, and recommends moving to Windows 11.

Clipboard history: Windows key + V

Clipboard history sits right next to emoji, and it’s one of the most useful shortcuts in Windows. Instead of only remembering the last thing you copied, Windows keeps a list.

Turn it on

1. Press Windows key + V.
2. Select Turn on.

You can also switch it on in Settings > System > Clipboard.

What to know

• Press Windows key + V any time to see recent items and click one to paste it.
• Clipboard history holds up to 25 items. Each item can be up to 4 MB, and text, HTML and images are supported.
• History is cleared each time you restart your PC, except for items you pin.
• To clear it, press Windows key + V and choose Clear all, or use Clear in Settings > System > Clipboard. Pinned items are kept.
• To remove just one item, open the history with Windows key + V, open that item’s menu and choose Delete.
• On Windows 11, clipboard history is also a section inside the emoji panel, so Windows key + period gets you to emoji and your recent copies from the same place.
• If you sign in with the same Microsoft account or work account on several PCs, you can sync clipboard items between them. On Windows 11, the setting is called Clipboard history across your devices. On Windows 10, it’s Sync across devices. You can choose whether text syncs automatically or only when you sync it yourself.

Important: Clipboard history keeps everything you copy, including passwords or account numbers. Clear it after copying anything sensitive, and think twice before turning on sync on a shared or work computer.

Emoji on a touchscreen: the touch keyboard

On a tablet or 2-in-1, the touch keyboard opens automatically when you tap a text field. You can also open it from the Touch keyboard icon in the system tray area of the taskbar.

If the icon isn’t there:

• Windows 11: Right-click the taskbar and open Taskbar settings. Under System tray icons, set Touch keyboard to Always.
• Windows 10: Right-click the taskbar and make sure Show touch keyboard button is selected.

The Mac emoji shortcut

On a Mac, Apple’s keyboard shortcut list gives Control + Command + Space bar or Fn + E to open the Character Viewer, where you choose emoji and other symbols. Apple’s emoji guide writes the second shortcut as Fn/Globe + E. You can also choose Edit > Emoji & Symbols.

A few Mac extras from Apple’s guide:

• Search: Type a word or phrase, such as “laughing face,” in the Character Viewer’s search field.
• Emoji while typing: Type a common word like “heart” or “thumbs up,” then press Fn/Globe + E to see emoji suggestions. If none appear, the Character Viewer opens instead.
• Favorites: Select an emoji or symbol in the Character Viewer and click Add to Favorites.
• One-key access: In System Settings > Keyboard, set the “Press fn key to” or “Press Globe key to” menu to Show Emoji & Symbols.

Task	Windows	Mac
Open emoji picker	Windows key + . or Windows key + ;	Control + Command + Space or Fn/Globe + E
Special symbols	Emoji panel > Symbols	Character Viewer

If you switch between both systems, our guide to Task Manager on Mac covers the other big “where is it on a Mac?” question.

If it still doesn’t work

• Click into a text box first. The shortcut needs an active text field.
• Try both shortcuts. If Windows key + period doesn’t respond, try Windows key + semicolon.
• Clipboard history is empty: It’s cleared on restart, and it has to be turned on first with Windows key + V > Turn on.
• Keys don’t respond at all: If other Windows key shortcuts also fail, the keyboard may be the problem. Our computer repair tips explain how to narrow it down.

For more time-savers like these, see our roundup of computer tricks, the guide on how to print screen on Windows 11, and the rest of Tech Tips.