How to Add Emojis in Outlook (Email Body & Subject Line)
The fastest way to add an emoji in Outlook is the operating system’s emoji keyboard: press Win + . (period) on Windows or Control + Command + Space on a Mac, then pick an emoji. This works everywhere — the email body and the subject line — in New Outlook, Classic Outlook, the web app, and the mobile apps. Outlook also has its own Insert > Emoji button if you’d rather click than use a shortcut.
Here’s every method, including the subject-line trick and how to fix emoji that show up as boxes.
1. The Windows Emoji Keyboard (Fastest)
This is the universal method and it works in any version of Outlook on Windows, including the subject line.
- Click where you want the emoji — in the body or the Subject field.
- Press Win + . (the Windows key plus the period key) or Win + ; (Windows key plus semicolon). Both open the same panel.
- The emoji keyboard pops up. Type a keyword to search (e.g.,
rocket,check,calendar) or browse the tabs (emoji, GIFs, kaomoji, symbols). - Click an emoji to insert it at your cursor. The panel stays open so you can add several.
- Press Esc or click away to close it.
Tip: Because this is a Windows feature rather than an Outlook feature, it’s the only emoji method that reliably works in the subject line of every Outlook version.
2. The Insert Menu / Compose Toolbar
Outlook has a built-in picker too, though where it lives depends on your version.
Classic Outlook for Windows
- In a new message, click the Insert tab on the ribbon.
- Click Emoji (or Symbols > More Symbols for the full Unicode set).
- Pick an emoji to drop it into the body.
You can also insert any emoji via Insert > Symbol > More Symbols, then choose the Segoe UI Emoji font and scroll to the emoji block — useful when you want a specific glyph.
New Outlook for Windows & Outlook on the Web
- Start a new message.
- In the compose toolbar at the bottom of the message, click the smiley / expressions button (it looks like a 🙂 face).
- The picker opens with Emoji and often GIFs. Search or browse and click to insert.
If you don’t see the smiley, the toolbar may be collapsed — click the … (More options) at the end of the formatting toolbar to reveal it.
Outlook for Mac
- In a new message, you can use the menu Edit > Emoji & Symbols, or
- Simply press Control + Command + Space to open the macOS Character Viewer, then search and click an emoji.
3. Adding Emoji to the Subject Line
Emoji in the subject line can lift open rates, but the in-app Insert > Emoji picker usually only inserts into the body, not the subject. Use the OS keyboard instead:
- Click into the Subject field.
- Press Win + . (Windows) or Control + Command + Space (Mac).
- Pick an emoji — it inserts directly into the subject.
Tip: Keep subject-line emoji to one or two, and put them at the start or end rather than the middle. Test by sending to yourself — some older recipient clients and spam filters render subject emoji as a box or strip them entirely.
4. Autocorrect: Turn Emoticons Into Emoji
Outlook can automatically convert typed emoticons into emoji as you type. Type a classic emoticon and it becomes a colorful emoji:
:)becomes 🙂:(becomes 🙁<3becomes ❤️
In Classic Outlook, this is controlled under File > Options > Mail > Editor Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options, on the AutoCorrect tab (look for the emoticon replacement entries). If typed emoticons aren’t converting, that’s where to enable it; if you’d rather they stayed as plain text, that’s where to turn it off.
5. Outlook Mobile (iOS & Android)
On mobile you don’t need anything Outlook-specific — use your phone’s keyboard:
- Tap into the email body or subject line.
- Tap the emoji / smiley key on your phone’s keyboard (or the globe key, then switch to the emoji keyboard).
- Tap any emoji to insert it.
This works in both the subject and the body in the Outlook app for iOS and Android.
Quick Reference
| Method | Works In | Subject Line? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win + . / Win + ; | All Windows Outlook | Yes | Fastest; OS-level |
| Control + Command + Space | All Mac Outlook | Yes | macOS Character Viewer |
| Insert tab > Emoji | Classic Windows | Body only | Ribbon button |
| Smiley/expressions button | New Outlook / Web | Body only | Bottom compose toolbar |
| Insert > Symbol (Segoe UI Emoji) | Classic Windows | Body only | For specific glyphs |
| Phone emoji keyboard | iOS / Android | Yes | Built into the keyboard |
Troubleshooting
The emoji button is missing in New Outlook
If you don’t see the smiley/expressions button, the formatting toolbar is probably collapsed or in compact mode. Click the … (More options / More formatting) icon at the right end of the compose toolbar to expand it, and the emoji button should appear. If it’s still missing, fall back to the Win + . keyboard, which never depends on the toolbar. Some heavily managed work accounts also have GIFs/expressions disabled by admin policy — emoji via the OS keyboard still works.
Emojis show as boxes or empty squares
A box (▯) means the recipient’s device doesn’t have a font glyph for that specific emoji — common with very new emoji on older systems. Stick to long-established, widely supported emoji (smileys, check marks, arrows, hearts) for important messages. If you see boxes while composing, your Outlook may be falling back from the color emoji font; making sure Windows is updated and using Segoe UI Emoji resolves it.
Emojis appear black-and-white instead of color
Black-and-white (monochrome) emoji usually mean the message is being composed or sent as plain text, which can’t carry color emoji. Switch the format to HTML: in Classic Outlook, open the message, go to the Format Text tab, and click HTML. In New Outlook the body is HTML by default, so check that you didn’t paste the text into a plain-text field. Some Symbol-font glyphs (like Wingdings characters) are also inherently monochrome — use the actual emoji picker instead of a symbol font for color.
Typed emoticons aren’t turning into emoji
The AutoCorrect emoticon replacement is off (or your version doesn’t include the entry). Enable it under File > Options > Mail > Editor Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options, or just insert the emoji directly with Win + . instead.
Emoji disappears from the subject when the recipient replies
Some recipient mail systems and spam filters strip or alter subject-line emoji. This is on the receiving end and outside your control — if a subject-line emoji is critical, confirm with the recipient or keep the meaning clear in the text alone.
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