Emoji for Beginners

If you've ever received a message full of tiny pictures and thought “what on earth does that mean?” — you're in the right place. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about emoji, from what they are to how to use them without accidentally offending anyone.

No judgment here. Emoji have become a huge part of how people communicate, and there's no reason you should feel left out. By the end of this page, you'll know how to find emoji on your device, what the most popular ones mean, and when it's appropriate to use them.

What Are Emoji?

Emoji are small pictures you can add to text messages, emails, and social media posts. The word comes from the Japanese words e (picture) and moji (character). They were invented in 1999 by a Japanese artist named Shigetaka Kurita, who designed the first set of 176 icons for a mobile phone company. You can read the full story in our history of emojis article.

Today, there are over 3,600 emoji covering everything from smiley faces and animals to food, flags, and even a petri dish. Every major phone, computer, and tablet supports them.

Emoji vs. Emoticons — What's the Difference?

You might remember typing :-) or ;-) back in the day. Those are emoticons — faces made from regular keyboard characters. Emoji are different: they're actual little images built into your device. The smiley face emoticon :-) became the emoji 😊. Same idea, better execution. We have a detailed comparison in our emoji vs emoticon guide if you're curious.

One small but important thing: the word “emoji” is both singular and plural. One emoji, ten emoji. Not “emojis” — though honestly, plenty of people say it that way and nobody will correct you at dinner.

How to Type Emoji on Any Device

The number one question beginners have: where do I find these things? Good news — every modern device has an emoji keyboard built in. Here's how to access it:

🪟 Windows

Press the Windows key and the period key (.) at the same time. A small emoji picker window will pop up. You can scroll through categories or type a word to search — try typing “smile” or “heart.” Click any emoji to insert it wherever your cursor is.

🍎 Mac

Press Control + Command + Space all at once. A character viewer will appear with emoji organized by category. You can also search by name. On newer Macs, you can also press the fn key (bottom-left of the keyboard) to bring up the emoji picker.

📱 iPhone & iPad

When your keyboard is open, look for the smiley face icon (😊) at the bottom-left corner, next to the space bar. Tap it to switch to the emoji keyboard. Swipe left and right to browse categories. Tap the ABC button to go back to the regular keyboard.

🤖 Android

Tap the text field to bring up your keyboard, then look for the smiley face icon — it's usually next to the space bar or the comma key. Tap it to open the emoji panel. The exact location varies slightly between phone brands, but it's always there somewhere near the bottom of the keyboard.

If you want to browse the full list of available emoji, check out our complete emoji list or use the emoji search tool to find exactly what you need.

The 20 Most Common Emoji (and What They Actually Mean)

Here's where it gets interesting. Some emoji mean exactly what you'd think. Others... don't. Let's go through the ones you'll see most often:

Want to look up any emoji you encounter? Our emoji wiki has detailed explanations for over 1,500 emoji, and you can always use the search tool to find one by description.

Emoji Etiquette: When to Use Them (and When Not To)

Knowing what emoji mean is one thing. Knowing when to use them is equally important. Here are some practical guidelines:

✅ Great Situations for Emoji

• Texting family and friends — This is emoji home turf. A ❤️ after “love you” or a 😂 after a joke makes messages warmer.
• Casual work chat — In Slack, Teams, or similar apps, a 👍 to acknowledge a message or a 🎉 for good news is perfectly normal. Our emoji for remote work guide covers this in detail.
• Social media — Pretty much anything goes on social media. Emoji help your posts stand out.
• Responding to photos — When someone shares a photo, a quick 😍 or ❤️ is a nice, low-effort response that still shows you care.

🚫 Better to Skip the Emoji

• Formal business emails — If you're writing to a client, your boss's boss, or someone you've never met, keep it text-only.
• Bad news or serious topics — Adding a smiley to “I'm sorry for your loss 😊” sends a very wrong signal.
• Legal or medical communication — Stick to words. Emoji can be ambiguous, and ambiguity is the last thing you want in these contexts.
• When you're not sure — If you're wondering whether an emoji is appropriate, it probably isn't. When in doubt, leave it out.

The Golden Rule

Match the other person's energy. If they use emoji, you can too. If they write in complete, emoji-free sentences, follow their lead. Communication is about connection, not about showing off your emoji vocabulary.

Common Mistakes: Emoji That Don't Mean What You Think

This section might save you some embarrassment. Several popular emoji have meanings that are quite different from what they look like:

• 🙃 Upside-Down Face — Looks like a playful smile, right? It actually conveys sarcasm, passive-aggressiveness, or “everything is fine” when everything is clearly not fine. Think of it as the “this is fine” meme in emoji form.
• 🍑 Peach — Officially it's a peach. Unofficially... it's widely used to represent a butt. If you just want to talk about fruit, maybe spell it out.
• 🍆 Eggplant — Similar situation. Technically a vegetable, but it has a very strong innuendo attached to it. Avoid in professional contexts entirely.
• 💅 Nail Polish — Not really about manicures. Usually means “unbothered,” “I don't care what you think,” or “sassy confidence.”
• 🙂 Slightly Smiling Face — As mentioned above, this one reads as passive-aggressive to many people under 30. Use 😊 instead for genuine warmth.
• 💀 Skull — Not morbid. It means “I'm dead laughing.” If a teenager sends you this, they thought something was hilarious.
• 😬 Grimacing Face — Looks like a smile at a glance, but it expresses awkwardness or discomfort. “Yikes” in emoji form.

For more surprising meanings, browse our emoji glossary — it breaks down the official and unofficial meanings of hundreds of emoji.

Quick Reference: Safe Emoji for Any Situation

Not sure which emoji to use? These are the “safe” options — universally understood, appropriate for almost any context, and unlikely to be misinterpreted:

Want even more? Our emoji cheat sheet is a handy reference you can bookmark, and the emoji collections page groups emoji by theme — perfect for finding the right one quickly.

Practical Tips for Getting Comfortable with Emoji

1. Start small. You don't need to use 15 emoji in every message. Even one 😊 at the end of a text makes it friendlier.
2. Copy what others do. Pay attention to how your friends and family use emoji. It's the best way to learn what feels natural.
3. Use the search function. Instead of scrolling through hundreds of tiny pictures, type a word into your emoji search. Looking for a dog? Type “dog.” Done.
4. Don't overthink it. Nobody expects you to be an emoji expert. A thumbs up 👍 or a heart ❤️ goes a long way.
5. Ask if you're unsure. There's no shame in asking someone “what does this emoji mean?” People are usually happy to explain. Or look it up in our wiki.

You're Ready!

That's really all there is to it. Emoji aren't complicated — they're just a new way to add expression to your messages, the same way your tone of voice adds meaning to spoken words. Start with the safe ones from the reference card above, pay attention to how others use them, and before long it'll feel like second nature.

And if you ever get a message with an emoji you don't recognize, just head to our emoji search or wiki and look it up. We've got you covered. 😊

Want to keep learning? Explore the history of emojis, discover new emoji coming in 2025, or test your knowledge with our emoji quiz.