How to use the text faces
- Browse the groups above to find the text faces you need.
- Click any emoticon to copy it directly to your clipboard.
- Paste the copied kaomoji into your chat, document or social media post.
- Use the reference sections below if you need to type these characters manually.
What Are Text Faces?
Text faces are expressions built from standard keyboard characters and Unicode symbols. Unlike graphical emoji, they rely on fonts already present on most devices. Western emoticons like :-) use punctuation marks and are meant to be read sideways. Japanese kaomoji use a wider range of Unicode characters and are read upright, such as (^_^).
The term covers everything from two-character combinations to elaborate multi-line constructions. Because they are plain text, they work in terminals, SMS, emails and any application that supports Unicode. This makes them more portable than image-based stickers.
How to Type Text Faces on Windows
Western emoticons require only standard keys. For example, hold Shift and press the colon key, then the hyphen, then the closing parenthesis to produce :-). No special codes are needed for basic faces.
Kaomoji often use characters outside the standard ASCII range. On Windows 10 and 11, press Win + . (period) to open the emoji panel, then switch to the symbols tab to find individual Unicode characters. In Microsoft Word you can also type a hexadecimal code point and press Alt+X to convert it, for example 263A then Alt+X gives the white smiling face. Most complex kaomoji combine many different code points, which makes typing them by code impractical. The most reliable method is to copy from a reference list like this one and paste where needed.
Typing on Mac, Linux and in HTML
On macOS, press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer. Search for specific Unicode characters by name or browse categories. You can add frequently used characters to your favorites for faster access.
On Linux, press Control + Shift + U, release, type the hexadecimal Unicode code point, then press Enter. For example, typing Control+Shift+U, then 30C4, then Enter produces the katakana tsu character used in the classic shrug emoticon.
In HTML, you can insert any character using its numeric entity. Use &#xHEX; for hexadecimal or &#DEC; for decimal. For example, the degree sign in (°ロ°) is U+00B0, written as ° or °. Named entities exist for some characters, like ♥ for the heart symbol, but numeric references cover every code point.
Common Characters in Kaomoji
Certain Unicode blocks appear repeatedly across text faces. Understanding these helps when building custom emoticons.
| Character | Unicode | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| ツ | U+30C4 | Mouth in shrug faces |
| ಠ | U+0CA0 | Disapproving eyes |
| ◕ | U+25D5 | Round eyes |
| ‿ | U+203F | Smiling mouth curve |
| ω | U+03C9 | Cat-like mouth (see greek letters) |
| ♥ | U+2665 | Heart symbol |
| ╯ | U+256F | Flipping arm or table edge |
| □ | U+25A1 | Open mouth or box element |
These characters belong to Katakana, Kannada, geometric shapes and other Unicode blocks. They render consistently across modern operating systems because they have been part of the standard for decades.
Worked examples
| Example | Input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Classic shrug | This input could not be calculated. | |
| Happy kaomoji | This input could not be calculated. | |
| Angry face | This input could not be calculated. |
FAQ
What is the difference between an emoticon and a kaomoji?
An emoticon uses basic ASCII characters and is typically read sideways, like :-). A kaomoji uses a broader set of Unicode characters and is designed to be read upright, like (^_^).
Why does my text face look broken on some devices?
Kaomoji rely on the receiving device having fonts that support the specific Unicode characters used. Older systems or minimal terminal fonts may lack glyphs for Katakana, Kannada or geometric shapes, causing boxes or missing characters.
Can I use text faces in programming comments and commit messages?
Yes, as long as your source files are saved in UTF-8 encoding. Most modern editors and version control systems handle Unicode without issues.
How do I make my own kaomoji?
Combine characters from Unicode blocks like Katakana, Cyrillic, Greek and geometric shapes. Start with parentheses for the face outline, pick eyes from round or angular characters, and add a mouth using underscores, curves or letters.
Are text faces the same as emoji?
No. Emoji are standardized pictographs rendered as images or colored glyphs by the platform. Text faces are sequences of regular text characters that depend only on font support, not on an emoji rendering engine.
Do text faces count as multiple characters in message limits?
Yes. Each individual character in a kaomoji counts toward character limits. A face like (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ uses over a dozen characters, which matters on platforms with strict limits.