When you buy a new Mac, such as the MacBook Pro (2023), one of the basics you may want to learn is using the emoji keyboard. After all, we heavily depend on these symbols to express ourselves online beyond just written words. Fortunately, there are two simple methods to use it. Whether you're running macOS Ventura or an earlier OS version, below you will find the steps you need to follow to use the Mac emoji keyboard.

Using the Mac emoji keyboard with shortcuts

The easiest way to access the emoji keyboard on your Mac is by using the keyboard shortcut.

1. Launch the app in which you wish to insert an emoji.
2. Click in the app's text field, and press Command + Control + Space simultaneously to bring up the emoji picker.
   • Alternatively, if you have a newer MacBook or Magic Keyboard, then you can access the emoji panel through the dedicated key in the bottom left corner.

3. Tap on the emoji you want to insert in the text field.

By default, the basic view with only emoji is shown when launching the command, but you can actually do a lot more. If you click the keyboard icon in the top right corner, this expands the menu box to include a plethora of additional options. One of the most useful options is the ability to save emoji to your favorites list, which allows you to compile all of your most-used emoji in one spot.

However, the emoji keyboard shortcut isn't just for emoji. You can also add fun pictographs, bullets and numbering, and math symbols. So if you're an engineering or mathematics student, you can get all of your favorite math symbols for typesetting complicated equations in this same menu.

The emoji menu is all sorts of fun, whether you need to make a quick post to some social media or hammer out a complicated calculus proof.

Adding the emoji keyboard to your taskbar

If you don't like keyboard shortcuts, you can also pin the emoji keyboard on a Mac to your taskbar. This enables quick point-and-click access to all of your favorite emoji and symbols. To trigger the emoji keyboard:

1. Click on the Apple Logo in the top left corner of your screen.
2. Tap on System Settings.
3. Choose Keyboard, followed by Input Sources.
4. Tick the box next to Show input menu in menu bar.

   

5. Now you can close the System Settings window, and the emoji keyboard shortcut icon should appear at the top right on your task bar.

Those are the two easiest methods to access emoji on your Mac. Keyboard shortcuts are definitely faster and my preferred method for accessing the emoji and symbol picker on my Mac. However, many users are more comfortable with the mouse, so you can pin the keyboard to your taskbar if that's your preferred method.