Looking for just the right emoji for a message, caption, or post? Read that emojis in the subject line increase open rates for emails? Find here the best emoji finder search engines reviewed, and never be at a loss for emoticons again.
First, Your Big Left Toe’s Nail
Is it you?
How about the feet? Is your left foot you? Your leg or… your heart perhaps?
How about your thoughts? Are your thoughts you?
Is there a difference in how much you identify with the five? If so: why? Do you think the difference is warranted?
While you’re searching for answers, I’m off looking for the left foot emoji 🦶. Good thing I’ve already found the best search engines for the job:
The 4 Best Emoji Finder Websites
1. Emojipedia – Best Way to Search for Emojis
Have a vague idea what emoji you need? If you can put it into words, chances are Emojipedia will find it—or an emoji that is related at least.
A vast body of text written about and around emoji makes Emojipedia the best place to search for emojis: you can search for official names, of course, but also alternative names and uses as well as historical and pop culture information about all kinds of emoji characters. The emoji results show you multiple incarnations (on all the popular platforms from Apple to Google, Twitter, and Facebook) for the emoticon and let you copy with easy as well as guide you to the corresponding Unicode codepoints.
If you have just about no idea what you want, Emojipedia has organized emojis in many a helpful list—from holidays to food groups and activities.
As useful as Emojipedia is—it could be even more organized as an emoji search engine. Search operators, for instance, could let you filter results based on criteria to find emoticons even faster.
Emojipedia Pros
- Rich, searchable descriptions for emojis and their meaning
- Includes detailed historic information about emoji additions, removals, and changes
- Alternative names make finding emoji easy
Emojipedia Cons
- Does not offer search operators to limit results
- No search as you type
Wondering if there’s a plain text version for an emoji? How to Get the Text Version of an Emoji (and Vice Versa)
2. Emojicopy – Best Alternative Emoji Finder Search Engine
Wish your phone, tablet or computer came with a smart and swift panel that let you search for and enter (multiple) emojis without complications or extra steps? Open Emojicopy in a browser and—there you are.
At Emojicopy, type to find emojis as you go, tap any to add them to the internal clipboard, then click copy to have them available to paste anywhere.
Emojicopy could hardly be any faster or easier; by its nature, it could be more comprehensive, of course. You can only search by emoji name, and Emojicopy does not offer any lists, historical information, or alternative search terms.
Emojicopy Pros
- Really fast search as you type
- Lets you stack emojis and copy the lot in one go
Emojicopy Cons
- Does not find tangentially related emoji or include alternative names
- No search operators or options to limit results
- Pure keyboard operation might be nice
Searching for more than emojis? The best tools to search for Unicode characters
3. 😃.tk Emoji Finder – Fun and Simple Emoji Search
Type, tap and copy—that’s the Emoji Finder experience at 😃.tk (or https://%F0%9F%98%83.tk if you prefer).
While using Emoji Finder is as much a joy as looking at the site is, the emojis returned in results are a bit limited. It would be great if Emoji Finder could include more alternate emoji names and a wider net in general. By design, Emoji Finder does not include any lists or categories; the site lets you find related emojis, though.
Back at the search results, it’s nice to find Emoji Finder can be navigated and used with the keyboard alone (Tab through results and use Command C or Ctrl C to copy)—except for picking the skin tone and gender.
😃.tk Emoji Finder Pros
- Big, approachable and engaging interface
- Easy to copy emoticons for use elsewhere
- Finds related emojis
😃.tk Emoji Finder Cons
- Always copies only one emoji
- Search results can be a bit hit-and-miss, often too restrictive
- Can be used rom the keyboard with shortcuts
4. HotEmoji.com – Searchable Emoji List
Fancy a long and sorted list which you can search—as you type to boot? That’s HotEmoji.com for emojis.
You can jump to categories fast with but a tap or click, and searching is as easy as typing, of course. For each emoji character, HotEmoji.com includes the looks on many platforms, its meaning and how to represent the character using HTML, Unicode and Alt codes (when available). If you want to use an emoji in plain text, HotEmoji.com offers ASCII versions for a few oft-used emoticons.
Helpfully, HotEmoji.com also includes translations of emoji names into a few languages. Oddly and unfortunately, you cannot search emojis by these translations.
All in all, HotEmoji.com oscillates between unwieldy and helpful.
HotEmoji.com Pros
- Includes translations for emoji
- Browse emojis by theme and category in addition to searching
- Has an ASCII version ready for many an emoji
HotEmoji.com Cons
- Oddly, you cannot search by translation
- May not include the latest emoji characters
5. (Bonus) Emoji Keyboards for iOS, macOS, and Windows – The Tool at Hand
When faster is better, the option closest to hand might be the best.
Emoji keys are built into the iOS keyboard and available on a Mac with a handy shortcut. Windows includes an emoji keyboard as well. If you are looking for an emoji that is not too obscure with a meaning that is not too obtuse, those keyboards at hand are probably the best choice.
In addition to offering search, the emoji keyboards let you browse by category, of course, and they are always up to date by design. The results you get can be a tad limited compared to an emojis search engine, and you get no supplementary information—just the emojis to use in your texts.
Emoji Keyboards Pros
- Extra fast to use
- Always at hand
Emoji Keyboards Cons
- No meaning or historical information
- Search is limited to a few “official” names
(The best emoji finder websites updated April 2024)