How do I find the emoji I want?

Type an approximate description. Search matches both the official name and the associated keywords, so describing what the emoji depicts usually finds it even when the official name is something you would not have guessed. Browsing by category works when you are not sure what to search for.

Click it. The emoji goes to your clipboard and a confirmation appears, and it is added to your recent list for next time.

Where is my recent list stored?

In your browser's local storage, on your own device. It is never transmitted anywhere and is not readable by this site. Clear it with the button beside the list, or through your browser's site data settings.

Why does the same emoji look different on another device?

Because each platform designs its own artwork for the same code point. Apple, Google, Microsoft and the various messaging services all draw them differently, and some have differed enough historically to change the tone of a message. The character is identical; only the picture differs.

Do emoji work in filenames, code and databases?

They are ordinary Unicode characters, so generally yes, given UTF-8 throughout. The common failure is an older MySQL database using the utf8 character set, which is limited to three bytes per character and cannot store most emoji. Switching the column to utf8mb4 resolves it.

Why does one emoji count as several characters?

Because many are built from more than one code point. A skin tone variant is a base emoji plus a modifier, a flag is two regional indicator letters, and a family can be several emoji joined by zero-width joiners. All of them render as one symbol and count as more than one character.

How much of a character limit does an emoji use?

More than it looks. Most take four bytes in UTF-8 against one for an ASCII character, and composed emoji count as several characters. A message that looks well within a limit can exceed it once emoji are counted, which is worth checking before posting.

Are new emoji included?

The set comes from the Emojibase data bundled with the page, which covers the released Unicode emoji. Very recently approved additions may not appear until the data is updated, and in any case will not render on devices whose fonts predate them.

Can I search in a language other than English?

The English edition searches the English names and keywords. The Japanese edition of this page uses Japanese names and keywords instead, so searching there works in Japanese.

Are my searches and recent emoji sent to a server?

No. The emoji data ships with the page, so searching happens entirely in your browser with no network request, and it continues to work offline.

Emoji Search – Find and Copy Emoji by Keyword

Emoji Search

// SEARCH

// CATEGORY

// Smileys & emotion (0)

Loading emoji...

// Emoji Search: Features

Search by what it is, not what it is called

Every emoji carries a set of keywords as well as its official name, and the search matches both. That matters because the official name is often not what you would think to type: the emoji most people call a party popper, a rocket or a fire is filed under names that vary, and the keywords bridge the gap. Typing an approximate description usually finds what you meant.

Recently used, kept locally

The emoji you copy are remembered and shown at the top on your next visit. Most people use a small set repeatedly, so this removes the search step entirely after the first time. The list lives in your browser's local storage, is never transmitted anywhere, and can be cleared with the button beside it or through your browser's site data settings.

Why an emoji can look different elsewhere

An emoji is a code point, not a picture. Every platform draws its own: Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung and each messaging service have their own designs, and they have differed significantly enough over the years to change how a message reads. The classic examples involve facial expressions that appear friendly on one platform and pained on another. It is worth remembering before using an ambiguous emoji in anything consequential.

Emoji in code and data

Emoji are ordinary Unicode characters, so they work anywhere text does, provided the encoding is UTF-8 throughout. Two caveats come up repeatedly. Many take four bytes rather than the one an ASCII character takes, so they consume character and byte limits faster than they appear to. And older MySQL configurations using the utf8 character set cannot store them at all, because that encoding tops out at three bytes; the utf8mb4 set is the fix.

Searching works offline

The emoji data is bundled with the page rather than fetched, so searching happens locally with no network request and works offline once loaded. Your search terms and your recent list stay on your machine. To examine the code points behind a particular emoji, the Unicode Converter shows each one with its bytes and escape forms.

// Emoji Search: FAQ

How do I find the emoji I want?: Type an approximate description. Search matches both the official name and the associated keywords, so describing what the emoji depicts usually finds it even when the official name is something you would not have guessed. Browsing by category works when you are not sure what to search for.
How do I copy one?: Click it. The emoji goes to your clipboard and a confirmation appears, and it is added to your recent list for next time.
Where is my recent list stored?: In your browser's local storage, on your own device. It is never transmitted anywhere and is not readable by this site. Clear it with the button beside the list, or through your browser's site data settings.
Why does the same emoji look different on another device?: Because each platform designs its own artwork for the same code point. Apple, Google, Microsoft and the various messaging services all draw them differently, and some have differed enough historically to change the tone of a message. The character is identical; only the picture differs.
Do emoji work in filenames, code and databases?: They are ordinary Unicode characters, so generally yes, given UTF-8 throughout. The common failure is an older MySQL database using the utf8 character set, which is limited to three bytes per character and cannot store most emoji. Switching the column to utf8mb4 resolves it.
Why does one emoji count as several characters?: Because many are built from more than one code point. A skin tone variant is a base emoji plus a modifier, a flag is two regional indicator letters, and a family can be several emoji joined by zero-width joiners. All of them render as one symbol and count as more than one character.
How much of a character limit does an emoji use?: More than it looks. Most take four bytes in UTF-8 against one for an ASCII character, and composed emoji count as several characters. A message that looks well within a limit can exceed it once emoji are counted, which is worth checking before posting.
Are new emoji included?: The set comes from the Emojibase data bundled with the page, which covers the released Unicode emoji. Very recently approved additions may not appear until the data is updated, and in any case will not render on devices whose fonts predate them.
Can I search in a language other than English?: The English edition searches the English names and keywords. The Japanese edition of this page uses Japanese names and keywords instead, so searching there works in Japanese.
Are my searches and recent emoji sent to a server?: No. The emoji data ships with the page, so searching happens entirely in your browser with no network request, and it continues to work offline.

// How to Use Emoji Search

Search or browse

Type a keyword describing the emoji you want, or pick a category to browse. Search matches both the official names and the associated keywords.
Click to copy

Click any emoji to copy it to your clipboard. A confirmation appears, and the emoji is added to your recent list.
Reuse from recents

The emoji you have copied appear at the top on your next visit, stored in your own browser. Clear the list at any time with the button beside it.

Category Text