Emojis Not Working on Windows? Here’s How to Fix It

Emojis have become an integral part of online communication, adding color and emotion to our texts and messages. But what happens when these expressive icons suddenly stop working on your Windows computer? It can be frustrating, but thankfully, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve the issue. This guide will walk you through common causes and effective solutions to get your emojis back up and running.

Why Are My Emojis Not Showing Up?

Several factors can cause emojis to disappear or display incorrectly on Windows:

  • Outdated Operating System: Older versions of Windows might not fully support newer emoji sets.
  • Font Issues: The font used by your system might not include emoji characters.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts Not Enabled: The emoji panel might not be activated in your settings.
  • Software Glitches: Temporary software bugs can interfere with emoji rendering.
  • Corrupted System Files: In rare cases, corrupted files can lead to emoji display problems.

Troubleshooting Steps to Fix Emojis on Windows

Here’s a comprehensive guide to resolving emoji display issues on your Windows PC:

1. Update Windows

Keeping your operating system up-to-date is crucial for ensuring compatibility with the latest features, including emojis. Here’s how to update Windows:

  • Go to Settings (Windows key + I).
  • Click on Update & Security.
  • Click Check for updates.
  • Install any available updates and restart your computer.

2. Check Your Keyboard Settings and Emoji Panel

Windows has a built-in emoji panel that you can access using a keyboard shortcut. Ensure this shortcut is enabled:

  • Press Windows key + . (period) or Windows key + ; (semicolon). This should open the emoji panel.
  • If the panel doesn’t appear, go to Settings > Devices > Typing.
  • Make sure the option “Show the touch keyboard when not in tablet mode and there’s no keyboard attached” is turned On.
  • Under Advanced keyboard settings, ensure “Use the Desktop language bar when it’s available” is checked.

3. Modify Keyboard Layout

Sometimes, the keyboard layout can interfere with emoji functionality:

  • Go to Settings > Time & Language > Language.
  • Under Preferred languages, select your language and click Options.
  • Ensure the correct keyboard layout is selected. If not, add the appropriate keyboard layout.

4. Change Your Default Font

If your system’s default font doesn’t support emojis, you might see boxes or other placeholders instead of emojis. Changing the default font can resolve this issue:

  • Note: Changing system fonts can affect the appearance of other text on your computer. Create a system restore point before proceeding.
  • Open Registry Editor (search for “regedit” in the Start menu).
  • Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts.
  • In the right pane, look for the font you want to change (e.g., “Segoe UI (TrueType)”).
  • Right-click in the right pane and create a new String Value.
  • Name the new value Segoe UI.
  • Double-click the Segoe UI value and set its data to a font that supports emojis, such as Segoe UI Emoji or Arial Unicode MS.
  • Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

5. Run the System File Checker

Corrupted system files can cause various issues, including emoji display problems. The System File Checker (SFC) tool can scan and repair these files:

  • Open Command Prompt as an administrator (search for “cmd” in the Start menu, right-click, and select “Run as administrator”).
  • Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
  • Wait for the scan to complete. This may take some time.
  • Restart your computer after the scan is finished.

6. Check for Display Driver Issues

Although less common, display driver problems can sometimes affect how characters are rendered. Ensure your display drivers are up-to-date:

  • Open Device Manager (search for it in the Start menu).
  • Expand Display adapters.
  • Right-click on your display adapter and select Update driver.
  • Choose Search automatically for drivers.
  • If an update is found, install it and restart your computer.

7. Perform a Clean Boot

A clean boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This can help identify if a third-party application is interfering with emoji display:

  • Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
  • Type msconfig and press Enter.
  • In the System Configuration window, go to the Services tab.
  • Check Hide all Microsoft services and then click Disable all.
  • Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
  • In Task Manager, disable all startup items.
  • Close Task Manager and click Apply and OK in the System Configuration window.
  • Restart your computer. After the restart, check if emojis are working. If they are, re-enable services and startup items one by one to identify the culprit.

8. Reset Your PC

As a last resort, if none of the above steps work, you can reset your PC. This will reinstall Windows but gives you the option to keep your personal files.

  • Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
  • Under Reset this PC, click Get started.
  • Choose whether to keep your files or remove everything.
  • Follow the on-screen instructions to reset your PC.

Conclusion

Emojis are a fun and expressive way to communicate. If you encounter issues with emojis not working on Windows, following these troubleshooting steps should help you resolve the problem and get back to expressing yourself fully. Remember to start with the simplest solutions, like updating Windows, and gradually move towards more advanced steps like resetting your PC if necessary.