Where and How to Use Cute Text Emoticons (Kaomoji)

A kaomoji is a text emoticon made from letters and symbols, like (｡•ᴗ•｡). Because it's text rather than an image, it looks the same wherever you paste it and adds expression to your tone. Let's look at where and how to use it.

Pick a face that fits the moment

Choosing a kaomoji that matches the feeling makes your message more vivid. A happy emoticon works when you're grateful, a sad emoticon when you're disappointed, and a love emoticon for affection. If you like animals, cat kaomoji are popular too.

Where to use them

One at the end of a WhatsApp message softens even a blunt line, and in Instagram comments or bios it sets the mood. Placed beside a title in a blog or diary app, it adds a nice accent. The key is "one spoonful" — adding just one at the end looks more polished than putting one in every sentence.

When there's no face you want, make your own

When there's no perfect face, use the Emoticon Maker to pick eyes, mouth, and hands and build your own kaomoji. Make one fast with "left-right auto," or type characters into each part to create a one-of-a-kind face.

Save the kaomoji you like to Favorites by tapping the heart, and you can pull them right up next time.