Google Slides can display emoji as ordinary text, which means you can insert them into titles, text boxes, table cells, and other places that accept characters. The easiest method is usually your computer’s built-in emoji picker.
Add emoji on Windows
- Click inside a text box in Google Slides.
- Press Windows+. (period) to open the Windows emoji panel.
- Search or browse for the emoji you want.
- Select it to insert it at the cursor.
- Adjust the text size if you want the emoji to appear larger or smaller.
Add emoji on a Mac
Place the cursor in a Slides text box and use the macOS emoji/character viewer shortcut available on your version of macOS. Select an emoji from the viewer and it is inserted as a character.
Emoji appearance can vary
Emoji are Unicode characters, but their artwork is supplied by the operating system, browser, or font. An emoji can therefore look somewhat different on Windows, macOS, Android, an iPhone, or another viewer’s computer. Some newer emoji may not render correctly on older systems.
If the exact artwork matters for a presentation, consider using a properly licensed image instead of relying on a text emoji. An image gives you more predictable appearance, while text emoji are easier to edit and align with surrounding words.
Use emoji sparingly in presentation text
Emoji can work well as visual labels or accents, but a row of decorative symbols can make slides harder to scan and may be interpreted inconsistently by screen readers. Keep important meaning in ordinary text and use emoji as supplementary visual information rather than the only label for a concept.
On a phone, here is how to use emojis in iPhone text messages.
Emoji shortcuts by device
| Device | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 and 11 | Windows key + period (.) or Windows key + semicolon (;) |
| Mac | Control + Command + Space, or the Globe/fn key on newer keyboards |
| Chromebook | Search + Shift + Space |
| iPhone, iPad, Android | Tap the emoji or smiley key on the on-screen keyboard |
Use Google Slides’ Special characters tool
- Click inside a text box.
- Go to Insert > Special characters.
- Open the first drop-down menu and choose Emoji, then pick a category, or type a word like “smile” in the search box.
- Click an emoji to insert it, then close the window.
This method works on any computer, including ones where you don’t know the keyboard shortcut.
Make an emoji bigger or move it freely
- Increase the font size. Select the emoji like any other text and raise the size. To change the text box style, see how to change the font in a Google Slides text box.
- Put it in its own text box. Insert a new text box with only the emoji so you can drag it anywhere on the slide.
- Use an image. For a large, sharp emoji, insert an emoji image file instead. Our guide to inserting a picture in Google Slides explains how. Only use images you have the right to use.
Add emoji in the Google Slides mobile app
- Open the presentation and double-tap a text box to edit it.
- Tap the emoji key on your keyboard.
- Choose an emoji, then tap outside the text box to finish.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my emoji look different when I present on another computer?
Each system draws emoji with its own artwork, so the same emoji can look slightly different on Windows, Mac, and phones.
Can I change an emoji’s color?
Not with the font color tool. Color emoji keep their own colors. Use a different emoji or an image if you need another color.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.