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How to Insert Emoji in Google Docs [4 Easy Ways]

Sometimes, words alone aren’t enough to convey the message we want to express. Luckily, Google Docs allows its users to insert emojis in a few easy steps.

Adding emojis to your Google Docs can enhance the visual appeal of your document and add a touch of personality. Plus, the built-in emoji reaction feature makes collaborating with your team more seamless and fun.

One simple way to add emojis to your Google Docs is by typing “@:” to open the emoji picker. Then, pick whichever you want to add, and you’re good to go!

Learn more about how to insert emojis in Google Docs below.

How to Insert Emoji in Google Docs Using the “@” Symbol

One of the easiest ways to add emojis to Google Docs and enhance the visual message of your document is by using the “@” symbol. This method is great when you want to add emojis without interrupting your writing flow.

You can use this method to access emojis in two modes:

  • Using an emoji menu that allows you to select the ones you want to insert
  • Typing descriptors to tell Google Docs what you’re looking for

To add an emoji in Google Docs using the “@” symbol, simply follow the steps below:

  1. Open your Google Docs document.
  2. Place your cursor where you want to insert the emoji.
  3. Type the “@” symbol followed by the name of the emoji you want to insert (with no spaces). For example, “@sparkles” will insert a sparkle emoji.
  4. Click on the emoji you want to use to insert it into your document.
How to Insert Emoji in Google Docs—inserting an emoji in Google Docs using the "@" special character

 

  1. You can also type “@:” or “:” to see a dropdown list of frequently used emojis.
  2. To access a full menu of emojis, simply click on the arrow to the right.
How to Insert Emoji in Google Docs using the @: symbol

 

  1. If you prefer using your keyboard, press the right-arrow key twice after step five to see the pop-up menu with a search bar and a list of emojis.
  2. You can also directly type “@emoji” on your document, then click “Emoji” from the menu.
List of available emojis in Google Docs

 

  1. From there, scroll through the list or use the search bar to find the emoji you want to insert, and then click on it to add it to your document.

That’s it! You can repeat these steps to insert as many emojis as you want in your Google Docs document.

How to Get Emojis on Google Docs Using the Insert Menu

If you aren’t keen on using keyboard shortcuts in Google Docs, you can manually insert an emoji in Google Docs through the “Insert” menu.

Here’s how to insert an emoji in Google Docs using the “Insert” menu:

  1. Open your Google Document.
  2. Click on where you want to insert your emoji.
  3. In the menu bar, click on “Insert.
  4. Select “Emoji” from the drop-down menu.
How to insert an emoji in Google Docs using the Insert menu

 

  1. Upon clicking, a box with various emojis will appear. You can either use the search bar or scroll through the selection to find the emoji you want to insert.
  2. Click on the emoji you want to add to your Google document.
Searching for an emoji in the Google Docs emoji picker

How to Add Emojis in Google Docs as Special Characters

Did you know that emojis and special characters are part of the same Unicode character set? As such, Google Docs allows you to insert emojis as special characters in your documents. Additionally, you can search for emojis by drawing them, which is useful if you’re unsure of the emoji name you want to use.

Here’s how to add emojis to Google Docs using special characters.

  1. In your Google document and click where you want to insert the emoji.
  2. Go to “Insert” > “Special characters” on the menu bar.
How to add emojis using the "Special characters" option in Google Docs

 

  1. In the “Insert special characters” panel, click on “Symbol.”
Changing the group of special characters in Google Docs

 

  1. From the list that appears, click on “Emoji.”
Choosing the Emoji group in Google Docs special characters menu

 

  1. Select the emoji you want to add to your document.
  2. Alternatively, you can draw the emoji you want to insert in the drawing space available on the right-hand side or type its name directly into the search bar.
Drawing and searching for a special character in Google Docs

How to Add Emoji Reactions to Text in Google Docs

If you want to react to a colleague’s work quickly without typing anything, emoji reactions are a great option. With emoji reactions, you can easily react to specific parts of the text without interrupting the flow of the document.

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to add emoji reactions to text in Google Docs:

  1. Go to Google Docs and open your document.
  2. Highlight the text you want to add an emoji reaction to.
  3. Hover your mouse to the right side of the document paper.
  4. Click on the “emoji” icon.
How to add an emoji reaction in Google Docs

 

  1. Alternatively, you can right-click your mouse and choose “Insert emoji reaction” from the context menu.
Alternative method on inserting an emoji reaction in Google Docs

 

  1. Choose the emoji you want to use as your reaction. You can either use the search bar to find your reaction or scroll through the selection.
Selecting an emoji reaction in Google Docs

 

  1. After that, the selected text will be highlighted with the chosen emoji reaction appearing to the right of the document.
How to Add Emoji Reactions to Text in Google Docs

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Aren’t Emojis Showing Up in Google Docs?

If you’re having trouble seeing emojis in your Google Docs, there are a few things you can try.

First, make sure you’re inserting the emojis correctly. Click on the “Insert” menu and select “Emoji” from the list. Then choose the emoji you want from the menu that appears.

If that doesn’t work, try refreshing your browser tab or using a different browser to access Google Docs.

How Do You Put an Emoji on a Keyboard?

As of this writing, there is no easy way to map a keyboard to type out an emoji. But both Mac and Windows have options to access the emoji picker as a shortcut. Here’s how:

  1. Open your Google document.
  2. Place your cursor where you want to insert the emoji.
  3. Press the “Windows key” + “.,” or “;” (Windows) or  “Command” + “Control” + “Space” (Mac) to open the emoji keyboard.
  4. Scroll through the emojis to find the one you want to insert or use the search bar at the top to type in keywords.
  5. Click on your chosen emoji, and it will appear in your document at the cursor’s location.
  6. You can repeat these steps to insert as many emojis as you’d like.
  7. Once you’ve finished adding emojis, you can close the emoji keyboard by clicking on the “X” button in the top-right corner.

Final Thoughts

Emojis might be just what you need when you want to add a personal touch to your documents and express yourself creatively. So go ahead and apply what you’ve learned about how to insert emojis in Google Docs to your work!

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