How to Type Kaomoji (Keyboard Guide)
You may already have a kaomoji keyboard on your phone or computer. Here is where to find it, plus how to save your favourite faces as shortcuts.
48 faces. Tap a card to copy, ♡ to save. Faces marked “may not show on older devices” use rarer symbols.
iPhone and iPad
Use the Japanese Kana keyboard. It has a built-in list of kaomoji.
- Open Settings, tap General, then Keyboard, then Keyboards.
- Tap Add New Keyboard, choose Japanese, then Kana.
- In any app, tap the globe key until the Kana keyboard appears, then tap the
^_^key to open the kaomoji list.
Save your own favourites with Text Replacement. Go to Settings, General, Keyboard, Text Replacement and tap the plus button. Paste a face into Phrase and type a short code into Shortcut, like “hugg”. Now typing that code gives you the face.
Android
Gboard, the Google keyboard on many Android phones, keeps kaomoji inside its emoji panel. Tap the emoji key (the smiley face), then look along the tabs next to emoji, GIFs and stickers for the text-face tab. It holds ready-made kaomoji in groups. Where it sits can change with the Gboard version and your language settings.
To save your own faces, open Gboard settings, then Dictionary, Personal dictionary, choose your language and tap the plus button. Paste the face as the word and add a short shortcut. When you type the shortcut, the face appears in the suggestion bar.
Windows
Press the Windows key + . (period) while typing in any app. The emoji panel opens. On Windows 11 it has a Kaomoji tab with groups like happy and sad. Click a face to insert it. The panel’s search may not find kaomoji, so browse the kaomoji groups instead.
Mac
macOS has no kaomoji tab. You can open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space to find single symbols like ♡ or ✿. For whole faces, use Text Replacements: open System Settings, click Keyboard, then Text Replacements, and add your favourite faces with short codes. Replacements made on a Mac can sync to your iPhone through iCloud.
Or keep this site one tap away
Tap the heart on any face to save it to your favourites in this browser. You can also use your browser’s “Add to Home Screen” option, so this site opens from an icon like an app.
Questions
Is there a kaomoji keyboard on iPhone?
Yes. Add the Japanese Kana keyboard and tap its ^_^ key to see a list of kaomoji.
Where are kaomoji in Gboard?
Open the emoji panel and look for the text-face tab next to emoji, GIFs and stickers. Its place can vary by version.
How do I type kaomoji on Windows?
Press Windows key + . (period) and open the Kaomoji tab in the panel.
Do I need to download a kaomoji keyboard app?
No. The built-in options above, plus text shortcuts and this site, cover most needs without installing anything.
Can I type kaomoji on a Mac?
There is no kaomoji tab, but you can save faces as Text Replacements in System Settings, Keyboard.