Emoji Family

How to Copy and Paste Emojis on Android

March 9, 2026

Android phones make it easy to use emojis in messages, apps, and more. The exact steps depend slightly on your keyboard app and phone manufacturer, but the basics are the same across all Android devices.

Using the Android Emoji Keyboard

All Android keyboards include a built-in emoji panel.

On Gboard (Google's Keyboard)

Gboard is the default keyboard on Pixel phones and available for all Android devices.

  1. Tap any text field to open the keyboard.
  2. Tap the smiley face icon (😊) in the toolbar above the keyboard, or tap and hold the Enter/Return key.
  3. Browse emojis by category, or tap the search icon (magnifying glass) to search by keyword.
  4. Tap an emoji to insert it.

On Samsung Keyboard

  1. Tap a text field to open the keyboard.
  2. Tap the smiley face icon in the keyboard toolbar.
  3. Browse or search for an emoji.
  4. Tap to insert.

How to Copy an Emoji on Android

To copy an emoji from a message, post, or website:

  1. Long-press on the emoji.
  2. Select the text around it if needed (drag the selection handles to highlight just the emoji).
  3. Tap Copy from the popup menu.
  4. Go to where you want to paste it.
  5. Long-press the text field and tap Paste.

Copying Emojis from a Website on Android

On sites like Emoji Family's copy and paste page:

  • Tap an emoji once to copy it to your clipboard automatically.
  • Or long-press and choose Copy from the context menu.

Then switch to your app and paste with a long-press → Paste.

Searching for Emojis on Android

Using Gboard Emoji Search

  1. Open the emoji panel.
  2. Tap the search/magnifying glass icon.
  3. Type a keyword like "laughing", "love", or "fire".
  4. Tap the emoji to insert it.

Using the Emoji Suggestion Bar

On many Android keyboards, typing a word like "coffee" will show a ☕ emoji suggestion in the bar above the keyboard. Tap it to insert the emoji (or to add it alongside your text).

Emoji Skin Tones on Android

For people emojis that support multiple skin tones:

  1. Long-press the emoji in the emoji panel.
  2. A skin tone selector will appear.
  3. Tap your preferred skin tone.
  4. That tone will be remembered for that emoji.

Tips for Emoji Use on Android

  • Use the recents tab: The emoji panel typically shows a "Recents" row with your most-used emojis for quick access.
  • Third-party keyboards: Apps like SwiftKey and Fleksy also have emoji support with their own search features.
  • Copy from notifications: You can long-press on emoji in notification banners too.
  • Clipboard history: Many Android keyboards have a clipboard history panel, useful if you've copied multiple emojis and want to paste an earlier one.

Finding Any Emoji Fast

For the complete collection of emojis with keyword search, visit Emoji Family's copy and paste page in your Android browser. Tap any emoji to copy it, then paste it anywhere.