Since Windows 10, Microsoft has implemented a way to insert emojis, but the way to get there is lesser-known. You can call up the emoji panel via Win+. (period) or Win+; (semicolon), but that’s a shortcut key that only power users would know.
Windows 11 improves that by integrating the emoji panel (along with GIF search) into the clipboard (Win+V), though Microsoft is currently testing a more direct way of accessing it – a dedicated button to open it through Taskbar.
Windows 11 Gets An Emoji Button
Per Windows Latest, the Windows 11 preview build 22635.4580 has implemented a button near System Tray (lower-right corner of the screen) that calls up the emoji panel when you click on it, so you don’t have to memorize the shortcut keys – or at least offer a quick way to access intuitively for users not as familiar with shortcut keys in general.
Like other Taskbar features, this button’s presence is entirely optional, and it can be entirely hidden via Settings (labeled ‘Emoji and more’ under Personalization > Taskbar > System Tray Icons) if you’re already familiar with the shortcut keys you use and prefers a cleaner look on your Taskbar. There’s also the middle-ground option that only displays the button while you’re typing.
At current state, the button seems to be non-functional, though the publication has made a mockup that shows how it should look like when it is properly implemented (shown above). It’s unclear when this update will ship to all existing Windows 11 PCs – while it is likely possible to be implemented via a simple Windows Update, the next major update should be the time we see the feature baked into the operating system.
Pokdepinion: Neat addition – I’ve always wondered why Windows never put this button within most users’ reach with how prevalent emojis already are in smartphone keyboards.
