What Are Kaomoji & Text Emoticons?

Kaomoji (顔文字) are Japanese-style text emoticons made entirely from Unicode characters. Unlike Western emoticons like :) and :( that are read sideways, kaomoji are read face-on — like (◕‿◕) for happy or (╥_╥) for crying. They originated in Japanese internet culture in the 1980s and are now used worldwide.

All emoticons on this page are plain text — they copy and paste into any app, message, bio, or document without needing special fonts or plugins.

Emoticons vs. Emoji

FeatureEmoticons / KaomojiEmoji
Made FromUnicode text charactersGraphic images
AppearanceSame on all devicesVaries by OS (Apple vs Android)
CustomizableYes — mix and match partsNo — fixed designs
Unique FactorHundreds of unique expressionsLimited to emoji library

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a kaomoji?

Kaomoji are Japanese-style text emoticons made from Unicode characters, read face-on like (◕‿◕). They originated in Japanese internet culture.

Do text emoticons work on Instagram?

Yes. All emoticons here are Unicode text, so they work in Instagram bios, captions, comments, and DMs on all devices.

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