Hello Barbara M,
I am Ibhadighi and I would happily help you with your question. In this forum, we are Microsoft consumers just like yourself.
To have emojis show up when you're sending an email in Outlook, you can follow these steps:
- Use the Emoji Picker (Windows 10 and later): • If you're using Windows 10 or a later version, you can access the Emoji Picker directly within Outlook and other applications. • While composing an email in Outlook, place your cursor where you want to insert an emoji. • Press the Windows key and the period key (.) together (Win + .). • This keyboard shortcut will open the Emoji Picker. You can then browse and select the emoji you want to use.
- Use Emoji Shortcodes: • You can also insert emojis using shortcodes in Outlook. For example, typing 😄 will automatically convert to a smiley emoji. • Here are a few examples: • 😄 becomes 😄 • ❤️ becomes ❤️ • 👍 becomes 👍
- Copy and Paste Emojis: • You can find emojis on various websites or emoji keyboards on your device. • Simply copy the emoji you want to use and paste it directly into your Outlook email.
- Enable the Touch Keyboard (Windows): • If you're using a touch-enabled device like a tablet or touchscreen laptop running Windows, you can enable the Touch Keyboard. • Open the Touch Keyboard by clicking the keyboard icon in the taskbar (usually located to the right of the system tray). • Once the Touch Keyboard is open, you can access the emoji keyboard by clicking the smiley face icon.
- Use Outlook Web App (Outlook.com): • If you're using Outlook.com or the Outlook Web App, you'll typically have access to an emoji picker directly within the email composer. • Click the emoji icon or the smiley face icon in the email toolbar to access the emoji picker.
- Use an Emoji Extension (Outlook Desktop): • Some Outlook desktop users may choose to install emoji extension or add-ins that provide an easy way to insert emojis directly into emails.
Please note that the availability of emojis may vary depending on your operating system and the version of Outlook you're using. In general, newer versions of Outlook and Windows tend to have better support for emojis.
Best regards, IBHADIGHI
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In Outlook on the web or Outlook.com, emojis are always inserted from the compose area; they cannot be permanently “pinned” inside the message body, but the emoji picker is built into the toolbar so it’s only one click away.
For Outlook on the web / Outlook.com:
- Start a new email or reply/forward an existing one.
- At the bottom of the message, select the Emoji / Insert emojis and GIFs icon.
- In the panel that opens, scroll through Popular emojis or search, then click the emoji to insert it into the email.
- Close the panel when finished.
On Windows, the keyboard shortcut already in use (Windows logo key + . or ;) is the built‑in way to open the Windows emoji panel anywhere, including Outlook.
There is no setting in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com to keep an emoji palette permanently visible inside every email; it is always opened on demand via the emoji icon or the Windows shortcut.
References:
- Customize your email message in Outlook on the web
- Customize your email message in Outlook.com
- Emoji
- Use a screen reader to explore and navigate different keyboard and text tools in Windows
- Add flair to your email with emojis
Hello
I saw you picked the outlook.com category for this question, so I assume you meant the outlook.com interface via web browser?
If so, when you compose an email, go to the Message tab, then click on three dots > Emoji to launch it.
Dear RemoteWarrior79,
Good day! Hope you are doing great!
Sorry to disturb. I am just following up to see if there are any questions, could you please help to confirm if the above reply clarifies the issue or anything else we may help you with? Thanks so much for your time.
Stay safe and Healthy! Have a nice day!
Sincerely,
Libeamlak | Microsoft Community Moderator
Dear RemoteWarrior79,
Good day! Thank you for posting to Microsoft Community.
I do understand your query here and you are absolutely right, there are two option to insert emoji to your email in outlook.
- Option 1 Emojis: These are accessed using the Windows Emoji Picker (Win + .). this emoji feature is only available in windows 10 and 11, which is a windows emoji feature, that is consistent with those found in other Microsoft 365 apps like Teams. Outlook doesn't have it's own emoji by default to compose email, you can refer to Add flair to your email with emojis - Microsoft Support
- Option 2 Emojis: This emoji feature is an add-in which is installed in your Outlook and accessed through the Emoji task pane under the ‘Message’ tab in Outlook. These emojis are appear larger and take up more space and are not consistent with those found in other Microsoft 365 apps like Teams. You can refer to Emojis (microsoft.com)
Therefore, I can confirm that the second emoji is an external source (third party) plugin, where the user (you) installed into Outlook, it's not a built-in emoji, so you probably installed it in your outlook.
However, to remove the second emoji option, click on All apps -->Right click on emoji -->Uninstall-->Confirm to the prompt. Then, check if the emoji removed from your outlook. You can refer to the screenshot below:
I look forward to your update. Please feel free to let me know how it goes or if I got you wrong. If you still have any concerns, please let me know so I can provide more suggestions.
Thank you for your precious time. Have a nice day.
Sincerely,
Libeamlak | Microsoft Community Moderator