How to Add Emoji in Outlook: Every Version, Shortcuts and Reactions
You want an emoji in an email and can’t find the button. Where it lives depends on which Outlook you have open, and on Windows one keyboard shortcut works in all of them. If your smiley turned into a “J” or a box for someone, that has a known cause too.
In short: in new Outlook for Windows, go to the Insert tab and select Emoji, then pick one in the Expressions pane. In Outlook.com and Outlook on the web, select Insert, then Emoji under Graphics. In classic Outlook, press the Windows logo key + . (period) to open the Windows emoji panel, or type :-) and AutoCorrect turns it into a smiley. On a Mac, choose Edit > Emoji & Symbols, or press Control + Command + Space or Fn + E. On a phone, tap the emoji key on your keyboard. To react to an email with an emoji instead of replying, use the reactions button at the top of the message, which needs a work or school account.
Outlook Emoji in Each Version
| Outlook | Insert an emoji | Reactions |
|---|---|---|
| New Outlook for Windows | Insert > Emoji, or Windows logo key + . | Work or school account |
| Classic Outlook for Windows | Windows logo key + ., AutoCorrect, or an add-in | Work or school account |
| Outlook.com (personal) | Insert > Emoji | No |
| Outlook on the web (work or school) | Insert > Emoji, or Windows logo key + . | Work or school account |
| Outlook for Mac | Edit > Emoji & Symbols, Control + Command + Space, or Fn + E | Work or school account |
| Outlook for iPhone and Android | The phone keyboard’s emoji key | Work or school account |
How to Add Emoji in New Outlook for Windows
These steps come from Microsoft’s Insert emojis article.
- Put your cursor in the message where you want the emoji.
- On the Insert tab of the ribbon, select Emoji. If your ribbon shows Graphics instead, select that: Microsoft is rolling out a Graphics button whose panel holds emoji alongside stock photos and stickers.
- In the Expressions pane, search with a keyword, or pick a category and look through it.
- Select the emoji to insert it.
To make it bigger, select the emoji, go to the Format tab and change the font size. The Windows emoji panel, described below, works here too.
How to Add Emoji in Outlook on the Web and Outlook.com
Outlook on the web and Outlook.com have the same Insert ribbon tab as new Outlook. Microsoft’s Outlook.com article gives the steps:
- While writing a message, go to Insert on the ribbon and select Emoji under Graphics.
- Select the emoji you want.
On Windows, the emoji panel shortcut also works in the browser. If your organization runs its own Exchange Server 2016, its older Outlook on the web puts an Insert emojis and GIFs icon at the bottom of the message, per Microsoft’s Outlook on the web article.
Use the Windows Emoji Panel (Windows Logo Key + Period)
The emoji panel belongs to Windows, not Outlook, so it works in classic Outlook, new Outlook, Outlook in a browser and any other Windows app. Microsoft’s Windows keyboard tips describe it for Windows 10 and 11.
- Click where you are typing.
- Press the Windows logo key + . (period). The emoji keyboard appears.
- Type a word to search, or scroll and click an emoji.
In Windows 11 the same panel also has Symbols, GIFs and kaomoji.
How to Insert Emoji in Classic Outlook
Microsoft lists no emoji button for classic Outlook. Its Add flair to your email with emojis article gives three ways:
- The Windows emoji panel: press the Windows logo key + . (period), as above.
- A text code: type :-) and AutoCorrect replaces it with a smiley. Microsoft’s AutoCorrect article says :) works too, and becomes the color smiley-face emoji.
- An add-in: select Home, then Apps (Get Add-ins on some ribbons), search for Emoji, choose an add-in and select Add.
Stop Outlook Turning :) Into a Smiley
- Go to File > Options > Mail.
- Select Editor Options > Proofing, then AutoCorrect Options.
- To turn off all replacements, clear Replace text as you type. To remove the smiley only, type the punctuation in the Replace box, then choose Delete with the entry highlighted.
How to Add Emoji in Outlook for Mac
- Put your cursor in the message where you want the emoji.
- Select Edit > Emoji & Symbols, or press Control + Command + Space or Fn + E.
- Browse to the emoji and select it.
To resize it, select it and change the font size. The emoji viewer is part of macOS, so Apple’s guide applies too: on keyboards with a Globe key, Globe + E does the same. Control + Command + Space comes from Apple’s Mac keyboard shortcuts list, which gives it beside Fn + E for the same viewer.
How to Add Emoji in the Outlook App on iPhone and Android
The Outlook app uses your phone’s own keyboard, so the emoji come from the keyboard.
- iPhone: tap in the message, then tap the Emoji button or the globe, as Apple describes. If neither shows, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard and tap Emoji.
- Android with Gboard: tap in the message, tap the Emoji icon and tap an emoji. Tap ABC to go back to letters, per Google’s Gboard help. Other keyboards put the key elsewhere.
How to React to an Email With an Emoji in Outlook
A reaction answers an email without writing a reply. According to Microsoft’s Reactions in Microsoft Outlook article:
- Open the email.
- Select the reactions button near the top of the message window.
- Choose a reaction from the gallery. To change it, select a different one; it replaces the first.
- Accounts: only work or school accounts with a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription. Personal accounts don’t have reactions.
- Versions: Microsoft says reactions reached all Outlook platforms in September 2023.
- Outside Exchange Online: reactions fully work only when you and the sender both have Exchange Online mailboxes. Otherwise the sender gets a separate email instead.
- Not available: on shared mailboxes.
Why Emoji Show Up Wrong: “J”, Boxes and the Subject Line
A smiley arrives as the letter “J”. Microsoft’s AutoCorrect article says older versions of Office turned :) into the Wingdings character F04A, a black-and-white smiley, while current versions insert the standard smiley-face emoji. Microsoft doesn’t explain the J itself, but that Wingdings smiley uses the code of the capital letter J, so if the recipient’s mail app doesn’t show the Wingdings font (plain text, many phones and non-Windows apps), they see a J. If your Outlook still does this, update Office, or delete the :) entry in AutoCorrect as shown above and use the emoji panel instead.
Emoji show as boxes. Microsoft says a box in place of an emoji on your own screen usually means the Segoe UI Emoji font isn’t installed. On the recipient’s side, its Outlook.com page warns that not all email programs display emoji the same way, so what you see is not always what they get.
Emoji in the subject line. None of the Microsoft pages above covers the subject line. The Windows emoji panel works wherever you can type, so you can use it in the Subject box. How the recipient’s mail app shows it is up to that app.
For more settings worth changing, see these Outlook tips and tricks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the shortcut for emoji in Outlook?
On Windows, press the Windows logo key + . (period) to open the Windows emoji panel. It works in classic Outlook, new Outlook and Outlook in a browser. On a Mac, press Control + Command + Space or Fn + E, or choose Edit > Emoji & Symbols.
Where is the emoji button in new Outlook?
On the Insert tab of the ribbon, select Emoji. The Expressions pane opens, where you can search by keyword or browse categories. Click in the message body first, so the emoji lands where you want it.
Why does my smiley appear as a J for the recipient?
Older versions of Office turned :) into a Wingdings smiley, which uses the code of the letter J. If the recipient’s mail app doesn’t show that font, they see a J. Current versions insert a standard emoji instead; you can also delete the :) AutoCorrect entry and insert emoji with the Windows emoji panel.
Can I react to an email with an emoji in Outlook?
Yes, with a work or school account on a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription. Open the email and select the reactions button near the top. Personal Outlook.com accounts and shared mailboxes don’t have reactions.
How do I stop Outlook turning :) into an emoji?
In classic Outlook, go to File > Options > Mail > Editor Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options. Clear Replace text as you type, or select the :) entry and choose Delete.