Windows 10 tip: Access symbols, emojis and more
Entering special characters in Windows can be inconvenient if those characters aren’t supported directly by your desktop or laptop keyboard. In earlier versions of Windows, your only options are to memorize ANSI codes (which require a numeric keypad to enter) or to use a separate utility like Character Map (which is useful but clunky).
With Windows 10, there’s an easier option: Use the touch keyboard. Don’t be fooled by that name. The touch keyboard responds just fine to mouse clicks. This keyboard appears automatically if you’re using a touchscreen-equipped Windows 10 PC in Tablet PC mode. Here’s how to make sure it’s at the ready even if you’re using a conventional PC without a touchscreen.
Right-click any empty space on the taskbar to open the taskbar customization menu and then click the Show touch keyboard button option.
That action immediately adds a new button just to the left of the clock on the right side of the taskbar. Click that button while working in any desktop program or Windows 10 app to slide up the on-screen keyboard. Here are a few things you can do:
- Click any letter or symbol to see variations of that letter, including those with accents and diacritical marks. On the symbols layout, for example, click and hold the 1/2 symbol to see eight additional fractions.
- Click the button labeled &123 to change from the standard QWERTY layout to one filled with symbols. Use the right and left arrows just above that button to display a second screen full of symbols, including symbols for the Euro and British Pound on a U.S. English configuration.
- Click the smiley face to display a keyboard layout filled with emojis and emoticons. Use the icons along the bottom to change to different groups of emojis, each of which has additional layouts available using the left and right arrow below Tab.