📧 How to Insert Emoji in Outlook, Word and Gmail
Emojis are easy to add to emails and documents once you know where to look. Here is how to insert them in Outlook, Word and Gmail, put them in subject lines, and get color emojis instead of black-and-white ones.
Adding an emoji in Outlook, Word or Gmail takes a couple of seconds once you know the shortcut, but each app hides it in a slightly different place. A quick 👍 in a reply or a 🎉 in a subject line can make a message feel friendlier. This guide shows how to insert emoji in Outlook, Word and Gmail on Windows, Mac and the web, plus a copy-and-paste method that works in all of them.
The universal method: your computer’s emoji picker
Before getting into each app, it helps to know that your operating system already has an emoji picker that works in almost any text box, including Outlook, Word and Gmail in a browser:
- Windows 10 and 11: press Win + . (period) or Win + ; (semicolon). Type a word like “heart” to search, then click an emoji to insert it.
- Mac: press Ctrl + Cmd + Space, or press the fn/Globe key if your Mac is set up to open emoji with it. You can also use Edit > Emoji & Symbols in most apps.
Our step-by-step guides for typing emojis on Windows and typing emojis on a Mac cover these pickers in more detail.
How to insert emoji in Outlook
Outlook on the web and the new Outlook for Windows
Outlook on the web and the new Outlook for Windows include a built-in emoji option when you write a message. Open a new email or reply, then look for Emoji on the Insert tab of the compose toolbar. A panel opens where you can search or browse, and clicking an emoji drops it into your message at the cursor. Microsoft moves toolbar buttons around from time to time, so if you don’t see it, check the overflow menu (the three dots) in the compose window.
Classic Outlook for Windows
In the classic desktop version of Outlook, the most reliable route is the Windows shortcut. Click in the message body, press Win + ., and pick an emoji. The same shortcut works in the subject line and the To field.
Outlook for Mac
Click where you want the emoji and press Ctrl + Cmd + Space to open the macOS Character Viewer, or use Edit > Emoji & Symbols from the menu bar.
Outlook on a phone
In the Outlook mobile app, just switch to the emoji keyboard on your phone, the same way you would in any messaging app.
How to insert emoji in Word
Use the emoji shortcut
The quickest way to insert emoji in Word is the system picker: Win + . on Windows or Ctrl + Cmd + Space on a Mac. Search, click, and the emoji appears at your cursor. Word treats it as a normal character, so you can change its size with the font size box just like text.
Use Insert > Symbol for symbols
Word’s Insert > Symbol > More Symbols dialog is built for symbols rather than modern emoji, but it is useful for characters like ✓, ★, ☎ or arrows. Choose a font such as Segoe UI Symbol, find the character, and click Insert. For a wider range of copyable characters, see our text symbols page.
Use a Unicode code with Alt + X (Windows)
Word for Windows has a handy trick: type an emoji’s hexadecimal code point, such as 1F600, then press Alt + X. Word converts the code into the character, in this case 😀 Grinning Face. Every emoji page on Emojis Keyboard lists its code points if you want to use this method.
Why are my emojis black and white in Word?
Emojis in Word can appear as flat, black-and-white outlines instead of full color. This usually comes down to the font. On Windows, Segoe UI Emoji is the font that holds Microsoft’s color emoji designs, while Segoe UI Symbol contains monochrome versions of many of the same characters. If Word applies a symbol font, or your version of Word doesn’t support color fonts, you’ll see the outline style.
To fix it, select the emoji and set its font to Segoe UI Emoji. If it is still monochrome, update Office, because older versions may not draw color emoji at all. Keep in mind that when you save as PDF or print, the result depends on how your version of Word and your printer handle color fonts.
How to insert emoji in Gmail
Gmail on a computer
Gmail in a web browser has its own emoji button. Open Compose, and at the bottom of the message window you will find a smiley-face icon labeled Insert emoji. Click it, browse or search, and click an emoji to add it to the message body. If you don’t see it, it may be tucked into the formatting options or the more options menu.
You can also use Win + . or Ctrl + Cmd + Space inside Gmail, which is the easiest way to add emoji to fields that lack the button.
Gmail on Android and iPhone
In the Gmail app, tap the message body or subject line and switch to your phone’s emoji keyboard. Any emoji your keyboard offers can be used.
How to add emoji to an email subject line
Subject lines are plain text, but plain text can include emoji, because emojis are Unicode characters. Outlook and Gmail don’t show an emoji button next to the subject field, so use one of these methods:
- Click in the subject line and press Win + . on Windows or Ctrl + Cmd + Space on a Mac.
- Or copy an emoji from a website and paste it into the subject.
A good subject-line emoji supports the words rather than replacing them: 📅 Calendar for a meeting, 🎉 Party Popper for an announcement, ✅ Check Mark Button for a completed task. One emoji is usually enough, and in formal or work email it is worth thinking about whether the recipient would welcome it.
The copy-and-paste method
When a shortcut isn’t handy, or you are on a shared or locked-down computer, copy and paste works everywhere:
- Open the Emojis Keyboard emoji keyboard.
- Click an emoji to copy it. You can search by name or browse categories like Smileys & Emotion and Objects.
- Switch to Outlook, Word or Gmail and paste with Ctrl + V (or Cmd + V on a Mac).
Themed collections such as good morning emojis, birthday emojis or hand emojis are handy when you want a few emojis that fit an occasion.
Will the recipient see the same emoji?
They will see the same character, but not necessarily the same artwork. Each platform draws emojis in its own style, so an emoji you send from Outlook on Windows will look like Apple’s design to someone reading on an iPhone, and Google’s design to someone using Gmail on Android. Very new emojis can show up as an empty box or a question mark on older devices or email apps that don’t support them yet. If an email really matters, stick to well-established emojis rather than the newest ones on our new emojis page.
FAQ
What is the shortcut for emoji in Outlook?
On Windows, press Win + . in any Outlook field. On a Mac, press Ctrl + Cmd + Space. Outlook on the web and the new Outlook also have an Emoji option on the Insert tab.
How do I make emojis colored in Word?
Select the emoji and change its font to Segoe UI Emoji. If it stays black and white, update Office, as older versions may not display color emoji.
Can I put an emoji in an email subject line?
Yes. Use your system emoji picker or paste an emoji into the subject field. Most modern email apps display it, though the design varies by device.
Why does my emoji show as a box in an email?
The recipient’s device or email app doesn’t have artwork for that emoji, usually because it is very new or the software is out of date.
Do emojis work in plain-text emails?
Generally, yes. Emojis are Unicode text characters, not images, so they can be used in plain-text messages as well as formatted ones.