Japanese Kaomoji & Text Emoticons

Emoticons are text-based facial expressions formed using standard ASCII keyboard characters, punctuation, and symbols (such as :-) or :D). Emojis are graphic pictograms rendered as single Unicode characters (like 😀 or ❤️). Japanese Kaomoji (such as ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) or ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) are advanced horizontal text faces that incorporate Japanese characters, Katakana, and mathematical symbols to express complex emotions without tilting your head.

In the Discord desktop or web app, click the Settings cog (User Settings) in the bottom-left corner. Go to 'Text & Images' under App Settings. Scroll down to 'Automatically convert emoticons in your messages to emoji' and toggle it OFF. Now, typing :-) or :D will stay as clean text faces instead of being replaced by graphical emojis.

In Microsoft Outlook on Windows, press the keyboard shortcut Windows Key + . (period) or Windows Key + ; (semicolon) to open the native emoji and kaomoji picker panel, then click the kaomoji tab (^_^) to browse hundreds of text emoticons. On Mac, press Command + Control + Space. You can also simply click any face on GetAllEmoji to copy and paste it directly into your email body.

In Slack, click your profile picture in the sidebar and select 'Preferences'. Under the 'Messages & Media' tab, find the 'Emoji' section and uncheck the box labeled 'Convert my typed emoticons to emojis'. This ensures your typed text faces like :-) or <3 remain as raw text.

On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard. Select 'Japanese' and choose 'Kana'. When typing anywhere, tap the Globe icon to switch to the Japanese Kana keyboard, tap the '^-^' button on the bottom left, and tap the expansion arrow to unlock over 100+ native Japanese kaomoji directly in your iOS keyboard!

Computer scientist Scott Fahlman invented text emoticons on September 19, 1982, on a Carnegie Mellon University computer bulletin board. He proposed using ':-)' for jokes and ':-(' for serious remarks to prevent misunderstandings on early online forums.

Emoticons emerged because plain ASCII text lacks vocal tone, facial expressions, and body language. In early email and bulletin board systems, jokes or sarcasm were frequently misconstrued as anger or insult. Simple text faces like :-) provided essential emotional cues to clarify the writer's intent.

Emoticons evolved into graphic emojis in 1999, when Japanese interface designer Shigetaka Kurita created the first set of 176 12x12 pixel emojis for NTT DOCOMO's i-mode mobile platform. In 2010, emojis were officially incorporated into the international Unicode Standard (Unicode 6.0), allowing them to display across all operating systems globally.

In Fortnite, emoticons are cosmetic items earned through the Battle Pass or Item Shop. You equip them in your Locker into your Emote Wheel. During a match, press 'B' on PC, the Down D-pad button on console controllers, or the emote button on mobile, navigate to the Emoticons section, and select your emoticon to flash it above your character's head.

Steam emoticons are custom mini text icons tied to games on the Steam platform (such as :steamhappy:). You receive them by crafting game badge sets using Steam Trading Cards, or by purchasing them with Steam Points in the Steam Points Shop. They can be used in Steam chats, forums, profile showcases, and status comments.

Yes! All 280+ emoticons on GetAllEmoji use universal Unicode characters. Simply click or tap any emoticon to copy it instantly to your clipboard, then paste it directly into your TikTok bio, Instagram captions, comments, Discord server, or gaming nicknames.