How Do You Search for Emojis in the Emoji Add-on?

Updated

Open the Emoji Add-on and type a keyword into its search field; the add-on filters emojis by keyword, and you can also narrow results by colour or gender. For emojis you use often, the "Most used emojis" section is faster than searching. Search works in your own language, and the picker is kept current with the latest emoji set, currently Emoji 15.1.

What the search actually supports

The add-on's search is built around three filter types, according to the site's feature list:

Filter What it matches Example from the site
Keywords Emoji names or concepts :happy:, :sad:
Colours Emojis in a given colour :red:, :blue:, :yellow:, :green:
Gender Gendered variants of a person emoji :person:, :man:, :woman:

So if you remember roughly what an emoji looks like but not its name, colour is a practical way in — for example, filtering to red to find a red heart or red circle rather than scrolling the whole grid.

Step by step

  1. Open the picker. Click the add-on's toolbar icon, or use the keyboard shortcut. By default that is Ctrl+Alt+A on Windows and Linux, and ⌘+⌥+A on Mac. The site notes the shortcut feature is available only in the Firefox version, and that you can customise the shortcut.
  2. Type your term. Enter a keyword in your own language — the add-on supports searching emojis in your language, and the project accepts translation contributions for languages not yet covered.
  3. Narrow if needed. Apply a colour or gender filter to cut the result list down.
  4. Pick the emoji. Depending on your settings, clicking it either inserts it into the focused text box (Auto-insert) or copies it to the clipboard (Auto-copy, which also has a Multi-copy mode). If neither is on, you'll need to place it yourself.

When search isn't the fastest route

If the emoji is one you reach for constantly, skip the search field and use the Most used emojis section — the site describes it as the place to find frequently used emojis faster. The list builds from your own usage, and if you enable sync through a Mozilla Account or Google Account, your settings and most-used emojis carry across devices. The add-on states it collects no data and saves everything locally on your device.

Practical limits to know

  • Language coverage isn't universal. If your language isn't available yet, keyword search in that language won't work until a translation is contributed.
  • Colour and gender are filters, not free text. They work on the categories the add-on defines, so an unusual shade or a combined attribute may not be selectable.
  • Shortcut access is Firefox-only per the site; in other browsers, open the picker from the toolbar.
  • Emoji set version matters. The add-on is described as constantly updated with the latest emojis, currently Emoji 15.1 — a very recently approved emoji may not appear until the add-on catches up.

For the customisation options that affect how results look and behave (emoji size, style, theme), see the separate guide on customising the Emoji Add-on.