Win-. stopped bringing up emoticons

Question

Win-. stopped bringing up emoticons

David 40

win-. on W11 has brought up emoticons. Today, it's not doing that. Rebooted and that didn't help.

It doesn't work in Firefox and doesn't work in Word. What happened to it and how to fix it?

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Answer accepted by question author

Clary-N 15,745 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi David,

I understand how confusing it can be when a shortcut you rely on suddenly stops working. Thank you for confirming that you’ve already restarted the device and tested this in multiple applications, this helps rule out an app‑specific issue.

Since the Win + . shortcut isn’t working across different apps, this may point to a Windows input feature rather than Firefox or Word. Please try the steps below in order, as each step builds on the previous one.

Step 1: Restart the Windows input service

This service controls the emoji panel and other text input features system‑wide.

Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
Locate Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service.
Double‑click the service and set Startup type to Automatic.
If the service is not running, click Start, then Apply and OK.
Test Windows + . again.

Step 2: Restart the Windows text input process

This refreshes background components related to typing and shortcuts.

Press Windows + R.
Type C:\Windows\System32\ctfmon.exe and press Enter.
No window will appear—this is expected.
Try the emoji shortcut again.

Step 3: Restart Windows Explorer

This helps resolve UI‑related glitches that can affect shortcuts.

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Find Windows Explorer in the list.
Right‑click it and select Restart.
Once the taskbar reloads, test Windows + . .

Step 4: Verify language and keyboard settings

Incorrect or duplicate keyboard layouts can interfere with the emoji shortcut.

Go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
Select your preferred language and open Language options.
Make sure at least one keyboard layout (for example, US) is installed.
Remove any unused or duplicate keyboard layouts.
Restart the device and test again.

If the issue persists after trying these steps, please let me know. We can then look at additional options, such as checking for pending Windows updates or testing with a new user profile.

Thank you for your patience and I look forward to your update.

If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

David 40 Reputation points

2026-03-24T17:41:47.4133333+00:00

I tried to click win+R and that didn't work. I think it might be the keyboard isn't sending the right code for the key or something similar. It's a fairly new keyboard, so I'm a bit miffed. I'll have to go get another keyboard and try again. Aargh.
Clary-N 15,745 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-25T07:46:03.68+00:00
Hi David,

Thanks for letting me know. Let’s use the On‑Screen Keyboard (OSK) to help narrow this down.

How to open and use the On‑Screen Keyboard:

Click Start.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.

Turn On‑Screen Keyboard On. The virtual keyboard should appear on the screen.

Once it’s open:

Click the Windows key on the on‑screen keyboard, then press R.

If the Run dialog opens, that usually indicates Windows itself is responding correctly and the issue is likely with the physical keyboard.

If nothing happens even when using the OSK, that would point more toward a software or system‑level issue.

You can also watch whether the Windows key visually highlights on the OSK when clicked, which helps confirm the key input is being registered.

Trying another keyboard is still a good next step, but this should give us a quick data point in the meantime. Please let me know what you observe, and we’ll take it from there.

Thanks for your patience.
Clary-N 15,745 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-26T09:02:17.6433333+00:00

Hi David,

Have you had a chance to check my answer yet?

Please do keep me updated.
David 40 Reputation points

2026-03-26T15:14:20.8966667+00:00

As I responded to someone else, it looks like it might be my keyboard. I double-checked on the laptop that's in the living room, ereader/radio, and it works. I'm waiting on the new keyboard but the odds are its that and not a software issue.
Clary-N 15,745 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-27T08:13:29.19+00:00

Hi David,

Thank you for sharing that update.

Since the keyboard works as expected on another laptop, it really does point more toward a hardware issue on this system rather than software. Moving forward with a new keyboard sounds like a solid next step, and I’m hopeful this will take care of the issue for you.

If you need any further help, please feel free to reach out. I'm here to support.

Have a great day!
David 40 Reputation points

2026-04-08T20:17:40.04+00:00

Yup. Got back in town, new keyboard was delivered, and back in business. I run through keyboards, and have lots over many years; but that's the first time I've seen the Windows key go out first. Technology, always fun. 😁
Clary-N 15,745 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-09T00:50:49.4533333+00:00

Hi David,

Glad to hear you're back up and running.

Feel free to reach out if anything else comes up.

Have a nice day!

1 additional answer

Your answer

David 40 Reputation points

2026-03-24T17:41:47.4133333+00:00

I tried to click win+R and that didn't work. I think it might be the keyboard isn't sending the right code for the key or something similar. It's a fairly new keyboard, so I'm a bit miffed. I'll have to go get another keyboard and try again. Aargh.
Clary-N 15,745 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-25T07:46:03.68+00:00

Hi David,

Thanks for letting me know. Let’s use the On‑Screen Keyboard (OSK) to help narrow this down.

How to open and use the On‑Screen Keyboard:

Click Start.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.

Turn On‑Screen Keyboard On. The virtual keyboard should appear on the screen.

Once it’s open:

Click the Windows key on the on‑screen keyboard, then press R.

If the Run dialog opens, that usually indicates Windows itself is responding correctly and the issue is likely with the physical keyboard.

If nothing happens even when using the OSK, that would point more toward a software or system‑level issue.

You can also watch whether the Windows key visually highlights on the OSK when clicked, which helps confirm the key input is being registered.

Trying another keyboard is still a good next step, but this should give us a quick data point in the meantime. Please let me know what you observe, and we’ll take it from there.

Thanks for your patience.
Clary-N 15,745 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-26T09:02:17.6433333+00:00

Hi David,

Have you had a chance to check my answer yet?

Please do keep me updated.
David 40 Reputation points

2026-03-26T15:14:20.8966667+00:00

As I responded to someone else, it looks like it might be my keyboard. I double-checked on the laptop that's in the living room, ereader/radio, and it works. I'm waiting on the new keyboard but the odds are its that and not a software issue.
Clary-N 15,745 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-27T08:13:29.19+00:00

Hi David,

Thank you for sharing that update.

Since the keyboard works as expected on another laptop, it really does point more toward a hardware issue on this system rather than software. Moving forward with a new keyboard sounds like a solid next step, and I’m hopeful this will take care of the issue for you.

If you need any further help, please feel free to reach out. I'm here to support.

Have a great day!
David 40 Reputation points

2026-04-08T20:17:40.04+00:00

Yup. Got back in town, new keyboard was delivered, and back in business. I run through keyboards, and have lots over many years; but that's the first time I've seen the Windows key go out first. Technology, always fun. 😁
Clary-N 15,745 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-09T00:50:49.4533333+00:00

Hi David,

Glad to hear you're back up and running.

Feel free to reach out if anything else comes up.

Have a nice day!

Answer 1

On Windows 11, Win + . (period) should open the emoji panel system‑wide. When it suddenly stops working in all apps (like Firefox and Word), there are two main possibilities based on the context:

The emoji panel itself
- On Windows 10/11, the emoji panel is opened with Windows logo key + . (period).
- Once open, emojis, GIFs, kaomoji, and symbols can be inserted with the keyboard or mouse.
- If nothing appears at all when pressing Win + ., this is typically an OS‑level input feature issue rather than an app‑specific problem.
Known issue with the emoji panel search (if the panel opens but search is broken)
- There is a known issue in a Windows update (KB5062554 for OS builds 19044.6093 and 19045.6093) where the emoji panel search stops working: typing in the search bar shows messages like “We couldn't find this one,” but the panel still opens and emojis can be selected manually.
- This issue is fixed by installing the later Windows update released on and after July 22, 2025 (KB5062649). Installing the latest cumulative update restores emoji panel search functionality.

Practical steps:

Confirm behavior
- Press Windows logo key + . (period) in any text field.
- If the panel opens but search fails, install the latest Windows updates (including KB5062649 or later) to fix the search issue.
- If the panel does not open at all, this indicates a broader Windows input feature problem that requires OS‑level troubleshooting beyond what is covered in the provided context.
Using the panel once it works
- Press Windows logo key + . (period) to open the emoji panel.
- Use Tab and arrow keys to navigate emoji, GIF, kaomoji, and symbols, then press Enter to insert.

References: