How to type emoji on a Mac
macOS has a system-wide emoji and symbol picker called the Character Viewer. The shortcut to summon it is Control + Command + Space.
The shortcut
Click into any text field and press Ctrl + Cmd + Space. The Character Viewer pops up. Type a name to search (“fire,” “heart”), then double-click an emoji to insert it.
Expand for symbols
Click the small expand icon (top-right of the viewer) to access the full Character Viewer, with categories for arrows, punctuation, math symbols, currency and more — plus font variations.
Menu bar option
You can also enable “Show Input menu in menu bar” in Keyboard settings to open Emoji & Symbols from the menu bar at any time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Mac emoji shortcut?
Control + Command + Space opens the Character Viewer to search and insert emoji.
How do I get more symbols on Mac?
Expand the Character Viewer (top-right icon) for arrows, math, currency and other symbol categories.