How to Type Kaomoji on iPhone, Android, Windows & Mac

Updated · 4 min read

Every phone and computer can type kaomoji without an app — the tools are just hidden. This guide walks through the built-in kaomoji lists on each device, how to turn your favorite face into a two-letter shortcut, and how to fix faces that break when you paste them.

The fastest way: copy and paste

Kaomoji are ordinary Unicode text, so the quickest method on any device is to copy a face and paste it. Open a page such as kaomoji copy and paste, tap Copy, then long-press (phone) or press Ctrl + V / Command + V (computer) wherever you are typing. No app, keyboard, or font is required.

Built-in device lists are handy when you are offline or want a face without leaving the chat. They only hold a few dozen faces, though, so most people use both: the keyboard for everyday faces and a library for anything specific, like a table flip or a bear.

iPhone and iPad: the hidden ^_^ keyboard

iOS ships with a kaomoji list inside the Japanese Kana keyboard. You do not need to read Japanese to use it.

  1. Open Settings › General › Keyboard › Keyboards.
  2. Tap Add New Keyboard, choose Japanese, then select Kana and tap Done.
  3. In any app, tap the globe key until the Kana keyboard appears.
  4. Tap the ^_^ key. A row of kaomoji appears above the keys; tap the arrow on the right to expand the full list.
  5. Tap a face to insert it, then switch back to your normal keyboard with the globe key.

Tip: Make a shortcut for faces you use daily: Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement › +. Paste the face as the Phrase and type a short word as the Shortcut, such as 'shrug'. Typing that word now suggests the full face.

Android: Gboard and Samsung Keyboard

Gboard, the default keyboard on most Android phones, includes an emoticon tab next to emoji, stickers, and GIFs.

  1. Tap the smiley (emoji) key on Gboard. On some phones, long-press the comma key first.
  2. Along the bottom bar, tap the :-) tab to open emoticons and kaomoji.
  3. Scroll the list and tap a face to insert it.

Samsung Keyboard has a similar emoticon section inside its emoji panel. On either keyboard, you can save a face as a shortcut: in Gboard go to Settings › Dictionary › Personal dictionary, add the face as the word, and give it a shortcut. The Gboard clipboard can also pin copied faces so they stay one tap away.

Windows 10 and 11: the kaomoji panel

Windows has a kaomoji tab built into its emoji panel, and it works in almost every app, including browsers, Word, Discord, and Notepad.

  1. Click where you want to type.
  2. Press Windows key + . (period) or Windows key + ; (semicolon).
  3. Select the ;-) kaomoji tab at the top of the panel.
  4. Pick a group (such as Happy or Greeting) and click a face to insert it.

The panel remembers recently used faces, so your favorites float to the top. For faces it does not include, paste from the library or turn on clipboard history with Windows key + V to keep several faces ready.

Mac: text replacements and Japanese input

macOS has no kaomoji tab in its Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space), but text replacements do the job well and sync to your iPhone through iCloud.

  1. Open System Settings › Keyboard and click Text Replacements.
  2. Click +, type a shortcut such as 'tableflip', and paste (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ as the replacement.
  3. Type the shortcut in any app and press Space to expand it.

If you add the Japanese – Romaji input source, typing 'kao' and pressing Space usually offers a few faces among the conversion candidates — a quick option for simple smiles.

Built-in kaomoji by device

DeviceBuilt-in listHow to openCustom shortcuts
iPhone / iPadYes (Kana keyboard)Globe key › ^_^Text Replacement
Android (Gboard)YesEmoji key › :-) tabPersonal dictionary
Windows 10 / 11YesWin + . › ;-) tabClipboard history (Win + V)
MacNo dedicated tabJapanese input: type 'kao'Text Replacements

Good faces to save as shortcuts

These are long or awkward to type by hand, so they make the best shortcuts. Tap Copy, then paste each one into your text replacement settings.

  • ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    Shrug

    Shortcut idea: shrug

  • (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

    Table flip

    Shortcut idea: flip

  • ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

    Lenny face

    Shortcut idea: lenny

  • ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

    Bear

    Shortcut idea: bear

  • (っ˘ω˘ς )

    Hug

    Shortcut idea: hugs

  • (◕‿◕✿)

    Cute smile

    Shortcut idea: cute

Fixing faces that break when you paste

  • Missing arm on the shrug in Discord or Reddit: both apps treat \ as a formatting character. Type ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯ (three backslashes) or wrap the face in backticks. The shrug page has ready-made safe versions.
  • Boxes or question marks: the app's font lacks a character. Pick a simpler face, or one built from common symbols like ( ^ω^ ).
  • Lenny face looks lopsided: its mouth uses combining marks that some fonts place differently. Try another variant on the Lenny face page.
  • Phone turns :) into an emoji: that is auto-replacement for Western emoticons. Kaomoji are not affected, or you can turn off emoji replacement in keyboard settings.

Frequently asked questions

  • Do I need an app to type kaomoji?

    No. iPhone, Android, and Windows all include a kaomoji list in their standard keyboards, and every device can paste kaomoji copied from a website.

  • What is the keyboard shortcut for kaomoji on Windows?

    Press Windows key + . (period) or Windows key + ; to open the emoji panel, then choose the ;-) tab for kaomoji.

  • Will kaomoji I type on my phone show up correctly for my friends?

    Almost always. Kaomoji are Unicode text, so they display on any modern device. Rare symbols can look slightly different depending on the font.