---
title: "How to get the emoji keyboard on a Mac"
description: "Here's how to get the Mac emoji keyboard, plus other ways to change words to emoji on a Mac, so you can add way too many emoji to everything you write."
image: "https://images.ctfassets.net/lzny33ho1g45/1dGTpuoNStKxZfLHzLy2P0/60abe59be9cc89b610fc3a21282bec01/keyboard-hero-green.png"
---

# How to get the emoji keyboard on a Mac

Here's how to get the Mac emoji keyboard, plus other ways to change words to emoji on a Mac, so you can add way too many emoji to everything you write.

Until recently, if I needed to insert an emoji somewhere on my Mac other than [Slack](https://zapier.com/blog/create-custom-emoji-slack/), I would—I kid you not—Google the name of the emoji, then copy/paste it from the results. 

The good news: you're reading this, which means I'm not the only one who missed the emoji keyboard memo.

Here's how to get to the Mac emoji keyboard, so you can add ✨ way too many ✨ emoji to everything you write. 

If you're just looking for a refresher, I'll save you the trouble with this cheat sheet. For more details, keep scrolling. 

**Method**

**Shortcut / Steps**

[Globe key](#key)

Press 🌐 (it shares a key with `fn`)

[Keyboard shortcut](#shortcut)

Press `control` + `command` + `space`

[Manually convert a word to emoji](#manual)

Type a word, and then press 🌐 + `E`

[Auto text replacement](#automatic)

Set up in **System Settings** > **Keyboard** > **Text** **Input** > **Text Replacements**

**Table of contents**: 

- [How to get the Mac emoji keyboard with a single key](#key)
- [How to open the character viewer with a Mac emoji keyboard shortcut](#shortcut)
- [How to manually change words into emoji on a Mac](#manual)
- [How to automatically change words into emoji on a Mac](#automatic)

## How to get the Mac emoji keyboard with a single key

On newer Macs, there's a key dedicated to opening your emoji keyboard. 

1. Press the globe icon 🌐 (it shares a key with `fn`), and the emoji keyboard will pop up no matter what application you're using.
2. Then you can search for an emoji by name or browse by category.

If that key isn't working for you, go to **System Settings** > **Keyboard**, and then make sure the _Press _🌐 _key to_ is set to _Show Emoji & Symbols._

## How to open the character viewer with a Mac emoji keyboard shortcut

In case you like doing finger gymnastics instead of tapping a single key, you can instead use the keyboard shortcut `control` + `command` + `space`. 

## How to manually change a word into an emoji on Mac 

If you realize only _after_ you type a word that it would have been much better expressed via emoji, here's what to do:

1. Hit `🌐` + `E`, and the corresponding emoji will pop up as an option.
2. Hit `return` to insert, and keep on typing. Or you can click that little down arrow next to the emoji to open the entire emoji keyboard.

Note: This won't work in every app. For example, it seems like web apps that have their own emoji-insertion system and keyboard shortcuts, like Google Docs, won't respond to this one, but it worked fine in other web apps, like Gmail.

## How to automatically change words into emoji on a Mac

To really lean into the emoji game, you can set up a text replacement to automatically turn certain words into specific emoji system-wide.

1. Go to your **System Settings >** **Keyboard.**
2. Click **Text Replacements**.

3. Type the word you want to replace in the _Replace_ field, and then use the emoji keyboard (press that 🌐 key to access it) to insert the emoji in the _With_ field.

Same as above: this won't work in every app, but it should be pretty consistent across your Mac. (And if you're logged in with your Apple ID, it should transfer to your iPhone, too.)

## 👍 to using emoji on Mac (sparingly) 

Before you take my advice to [add emoji](https://zapier.com/blog/use-emoji/) everywhere literally, please don't. Too many emoji following a simple "Thanks" or "Sounds good" can be overkill. But if you're presented with a no-brainer opportunity to jazz something up, use that Mac emoji keyboard shortcut to sprinkle in a little fun 🤩.

**Related reading:**

- [Custom Slack emoji we use every day at Zapier](https://zapier.com/blog/useful-work-emoji/)
- [How to (appropriately) use emoji at work](https://zapier.com/blog/ambiguous-emoji-at-work/)
- [How to automatically quit apps on Mac when you're not using them](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-quit-apps-on-mac/)

_This article was originally published in December 2024. The most recent update, with contributions from Jessica Lau, was in May 2026. _