Short answer: put your cursor in any text field and press Control (⌃) + Command (⌘) + Space. The emoji and symbol picker — Apple calls it the Character Viewer — appears at your cursor. Search by name, click to insert. Click the expand icon for the full library of arrows, math signs, currency symbols and more.
If your Mac has a Globe key (🌐), you can set it to open the same picker with a single press. Details below.
The 4 ways to open the emoji keyboard on Mac
You don’t need all four. Pick the one that fits how you work.
| Method | How | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard shortcut | Control + Command + Space | Everyone — works in almost every app |
| Globe key (🌐) | One press, after a quick setting change | Anyone using emoji or symbols daily |
| Menu bar icon | Click the Input menu → Show Emoji & Symbols | When the shortcut clashes with another app |
| Edit menu | Edit → Emoji & Symbols | A fallback that rarely fails in native apps |
Method 1: The keyboard shortcut
With your cursor in a text field, press Control (⌃) + Command (⌘) + Space.
The picker appears right at your cursor. Click any character to insert it. Press Esc to close it.
This is the method to memorise — it works in Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages, Safari, Slack, most browsers, and virtually any app that accepts text.
Method 2: The Globe key (🌐) — the fastest option
If your Mac has a Globe key (bottom-left on most modern Apple keyboards; on older machines it’s labelled fn), you can turn it into a one-press emoji button:
- Open System Settings → Keyboard.
- Find the pop-up menu labelled “Press 🌐 key to” (on older Macs: “Press fn key to”).
- Choose Show Emoji & Symbols.
Now a single tap of 🌐 opens the picker. Check what it’s currently set to before you assume it’s broken — the other options are Change Input Source, Start Dictation and Do Nothing, and on a Mac with more than one input source installed it’s often set to change the input source instead.
Bonus: with the Globe key configured, type a word like heart or thumbs up and press 🌐 + E — macOS offers the matching emoji as a suggestion. Press Return to swap the word for the emoji. If there’s no match, the Character Viewer opens instead.
Note on macOS versions: System Settings is what Apple calls it on Ventura (13) and later. On Monterey (12) and earlier, look for System Preferences → Keyboard → Keyboard tab instead — the same option lives there under the older wording.
Method 3: Put it in the menu bar
Handy if the keyboard shortcut is being intercepted by another app.
- System Settings → Keyboard.
- Under Text Input, click Edit… next to Input Sources.
- Turn on Show Input menu in menu bar, then click Done.
- A new Input menu icon appears in the menu bar. Click it → Show Emoji & Symbols.
(On Monterey and earlier: System Preferences → Keyboard → Input Sources tab → “Show Input menu in menu bar”.)
The same menu also opens the Keyboard Viewer, which is useful later.
Method 4: The Edit menu
In most native Mac apps: Edit → Emoji & Symbols (usually at the very bottom of the menu).
Slower, but it’s the one method that can’t be blocked by a shortcut conflict — which makes it the first thing to try when the keystroke isn’t working.
How to find a specific symbol
Search by name
Type into the search box at the top of the picker. Plain English works:
arrow→ → ← ↑ ↓ ↔degree→ °heart→ ♥ ❤️pi→ πcheck→ ✓ ✅bullet→ •infinity→ ∞
Frequently Used and Favorites sit at the top of the list, so the symbols you actually use stay one click away. To add a favourite, open the expanded window, select a character, and click Add to Favorites.
Expand it for the full symbol library
The small popover is mostly emoji. Click the expand icon in the top-right corner to open the full Character Viewer window, which has a category sidebar:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Arrows | → ← ↑ ↓ ↔ ⇒ ⇔ |
| Math Symbols | ± × ÷ ≈ ≠ ∞ √ ∑ ∫ ≤ ≥ |
| Currency Symbols | € £ ¥ ₹ ¢ ₽ ₩ |
| Bullets/Stars | • ★ ☆ ◦ ▪ ✦ |
| Letterlike Symbols | © ® ™ ℃ № ℉ |
| Punctuation | — – … « » ‹ › |
This is the Mac’s equivalent of a glyph panel. Select any character and the right-hand panel shows related glyphs and font variations — useful when a symbol looks wrong in your current font.
You can add more lists — including Unicode code tables — from the gear / Customize list menu in the top-left of the expanded window.
Skin tones and emoji variants
Click and hold an emoji of a person or a hand in the viewer to see its variations, including skin tones. Pick the one you want and macOS remembers your choice.
Option-key shortcuts: symbols without opening anything
The Option key types a fixed set of symbols instantly — no picker required. This is much faster than the Character Viewer for the handful of symbols you use often.
⚠️ Important: the combinations below are for the US (and US-International) keyboard layout, which is what these were tested on. On a UK, German, French, or Serbian layout, the same keys often produce different characters. To see your own layout’s map, use the Keyboard Viewer (next section).
| Symbol | Shortcut (US layout) | Name |
|---|---|---|
| • | Option + 8 | Bullet |
| ° | Shift + Option + 8 | Degree |
| © | Option + G | Copyright |
| ® | Option + R | Registered |
| ™ | Option + 2 | Trademark |
| √ | Option + V | Square root |
| π | Option + P | Pi |
| ∞ | Option + 5 | Infinity |
| ≈ | Option + X | Approximately |
| ≠ | Option + = | Not equal |
| ± | Shift + Option + = | Plus-minus |
| ÷ | Option + / | Division |
| ≤ | Option + , | Less than or equal |
| ≥ | Option + . | Greater than or equal |
| € | Shift + Option + 2 | Euro |
| £ | Option + 3 | Pound |
| ¥ | Option + Y | Yen |
| ¢ | Option + 4 | Cent |
| … | Option + ; | Ellipsis |
| – | Option + – | En dash |
| — | Shift + Option + – | Em dash |
No Option combo for the symbol you need? That’s what the Character Viewer is for. The multiplication sign ×, most arrows, and stars have no default Option shortcut on the US layout — use the picker or a Unicode code.
See which Option keys make which symbols
Turn on the Keyboard Viewer (Input menu in the menu bar → Show Keyboard Viewer). With it open, hold Option — the on-screen keyboard changes to show exactly which symbol each key produces on your layout. Hold Shift + Option for the second set.
This is the fastest way to learn your own keyboard rather than trusting a table written for someone else’s.
Type any character by its code (Unicode Hex Input)
The Mac’s answer to Windows Alt codes is Unicode Hex Input.
- System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Input Sources → Edit… → +
- Choose Others → Unicode Hex Input → Add, then click Done.
- Switch to it from the Input menu in the menu bar.
- Hold Option and type the 4-digit hex code.
Example: Option + 2 1 9 2 → →
Common Unicode & HTML codes
| Symbol | Unicode | Unicode Hex Input | HTML entity |
|---|---|---|---|
| → | U+2192 | Option + 2192 | → |
| ← | U+2190 | Option + 2190 | ← |
| • | U+2022 | Option + 2022 | • |
| © | U+00A9 | Option + 00A9 | © |
| ® | U+00AE | Option + 00AE | ® |
| ™ | U+2122 | Option + 2122 | ™ |
| ° | U+00B0 | Option + 00B0 | ° |
| √ | U+221A | Option + 221A | √ |
| ± | U+00B1 | Option + 00B1 | ± |
| × | U+00D7 | Option + 00D7 | × |
| ÷ | U+00F7 | Option + 00F7 | ÷ |
| ≈ | U+2248 | Option + 2248 | ≈ |
| ∞ | U+221E | Option + 221E | ∞ |
| € | U+20AC | Option + 20AC | € |
| ¥ | U+00A5 | Option + 00A5 | ¥ |
| ★ | U+2605 | Option + 2605 | ★ |
Unicode Hex Input covers characters in the basic range (up to U+FFFF). Emoji and rarer characters sit outside that range — for those, use the Character Viewer.
Remember to switch back. While Unicode Hex Input is the active input source, Option combos no longer type their usual symbols. Switch back to your normal input source when you’re done.
Faster still: Text Replacement
If you type the same symbol several times a day, skip the picker entirely.
- System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements → +
- Replace:
->· With:→ - Now typing
->and pressing space inserts the arrow automatically.
Text Replacement syncs across your Mac, iPhone and iPad if you’re signed into the same iCloud account.
Troubleshooting
The shortcut doesn’t open anything
Work through these in order:
- Make sure your cursor is in a text field. The picker won’t appear if nothing is focused.
- Try Edit → Emoji & Symbols instead. If the menu works but the shortcut doesn’t, you have a shortcut conflict.
- Check for Secure Keyboard Entry. macOS suppresses the emoji panel whenever an app has secure input turned on — and some apps leave it stuck on. Usual suspects: Terminal (Terminal menu → uncheck Secure Keyboard Entry), password managers like 1Password or Bitwarden while locked, and Cisco AnyConnect (just having it running can block the panel). Quit or unlock them and try again. This is the most-missed cause.
- Look for a third-party app stealing the keystroke. Launchers like Raycast and Alfred, screen recorders, and clipboard managers are common offenders — check their own hotkey settings. Note that Spotlight’s default is Command + Space, not Control + Command + Space, so Spotlight is only a culprit if you’ve remapped it.
- Spot conflicts in System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts. The emoji picker’s combo isn’t individually rebindable on this screen — use it to find other shortcuts claiming ⌃⌘Space, and change those.
- Assign the Globe key (Method 2) as a permanent workaround.
A symbol shows as an empty box ▯
The current font doesn’t include that glyph. Switch to a font that does — Apple Color Emoji, Helvetica, Arial Unicode MS, and Menlo cover a wide range. In the expanded Character Viewer, the right-hand panel shows which font variations exist for the selected character.
Unicode Hex Input types letters instead of symbols
Two causes:
- The Unicode Hex Input source isn’t actually selected — check the Input menu in the menu bar.
- You’re not holding Option for the whole code. Option must stay down through all four hex digits.
The picker opens but clicking does nothing
Some non-native apps don’t accept insertions from the Character Viewer. Workarounds:
- Drag the character from the picker into the text field.
- Or copy it from the expanded window and paste normally.
- Some web and Electron apps — Google Docs, Slack, Discord — provide their own emoji picker and ignore the macOS one. Use theirs.
Option shortcuts produce the wrong character
You’re almost certainly on a non-US keyboard layout. Open the Keyboard Viewer and hold Option to see your layout’s actual symbol map — or just use the Character Viewer, which is layout-independent.
Quick reference
| I want to… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Open the emoji keyboard | Control + Command + Space |
| Open it with one key | Set the Globe key to Show Emoji & Symbols |
| Find arrows, math, currency | Open the picker → click expand → use the sidebar |
| Type • ° © √ instantly | Use Option shortcuts (US layout) |
| Type any character by code | Add Unicode Hex Input, then Option + hex |
| See your layout’s Option symbols | Turn on the Keyboard Viewer, hold Option |
| It won’t open | Edit → Emoji & Symbols, then hunt the conflict (start with Secure Keyboard Entry) |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I open the emoji keyboard on a Mac?
Place your cursor in any text field and press Control + Command + Space. You can also open it from the Edit menu by selecting Emoji & Symbols.
How do I find symbols like arrows and math signs on a Mac?
Open the Character Viewer, click the Expand button if needed, then browse categories such as Arrows, Math Symbols, or Currency Symbols from the sidebar.
What is the difference between the Character Viewer and Option-key shortcuts?
Option and Shift + Option shortcuts provide a fixed set of commonly used symbols directly from the keyboard. The Character Viewer is a searchable library that includes thousands of symbols, emoji, currency signs, arrows, mathematical characters, and more.
How do I type a Unicode character by code on a Mac?
Add the Unicode Hex Input keyboard in System Settings, switch to it, then hold Option and type the four-digit hexadecimal Unicode code. For example, Option + 2192 inserts a right arrow (→).
The shortcut is not opening the picker. What do I do?
Another shortcut, such as Spotlight, may be using Control + Command + Space. Check System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts, or open the Character Viewer from the Edit → Emoji & Symbols menu instead.
How do I see which Option keys make which symbols?
Enable the Keyboard Viewer from the input menu. When it is open, hold the Option key (or Shift + Option) to see which symbols each key produces.
Recap
Press Control + Command + Space for the emoji and symbol picker, then expand it for arrows, math and currency. Option shortcuts cover the common symbols instantly, and Unicode Hex Input lets you type any character by its code. If the shortcut is dead, check Secure Keyboard Entry first.
Written by Igor R. Tested on macOS. Last updated July 2026. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard.