Emoji across excel version

Question

Emoji across excel version

Vu Nguyen 41

I am making an data entry form. For each row I made a data validation cell at the end for user to finalize the row. There are 4 possible action/values:

[empty]: nothing
✔: the row is finalized
❌: delete the row
🖍: edit the row.
The problem is with the 4th emoji (crayon). In excel version 2010 it just appear as a question block in the dropdown list from data validation. They all appear fine in Window + . listing.

As far as research go, I get that the font in data validation dropdown list is Tahoma, which is available in both computer. Some source say that it's the missing of Segoe UI Emoji font. I installed that, still doesn't fix it.

Is there a resource that have a list with emojis can appear correctly in which version of excel/windows?

1 answer

Your answer

Answer 1

Erin Ding-MSFT 4,476

@Vu Nguyen

According to my test in Excel 2016 and Excel 2010, emoji(crayon) displays correctly in Excel 2016.
I could reproduce your issue in Excel 2010.
This may be by design.

It is recommended to change the emoji(crayon) to a symbol that could display correctly.
For reference, you could insert symbols in Insert>Symbols>Symbol, select the font Tahoma, and choose the symbol you would like to use.

If an Answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.
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.

Vu Nguyen 41 Reputation points

2021-01-04T08:30:23.933+00:00

Of course, selecting a "safe" character is the work around. I already have done that. The problem is the "safer" the character, usually the less "expressive" it is (less clear of intention, less consistent with common knowledge of the functionality). So I asked for some type of documentation/guidance of which character can be display properly in various environments.
Viorel 122.6K Reputation points

2021-01-04T08:44:20.51+00:00

Maybe showing a small coloured text indicator like “[edit]” is even more expressive than “🖍”?
Vu Nguyen 41 Reputation points

2021-01-04T08:53:12.65+00:00

I think convert everything into plain text is less than ideal. It's shown/hidden in a text validation so I don't know if coloured text is an option. As far as I know, it's not, isn't it? If it is, then that could be an option.
Viorel 122.6K Reputation points

2021-01-04T09:31:54.883+00:00

Some formatting (setting colours) can be done using “Conditional Formatting” features.

Maybe you can also research this workaround: write a macro for Open event, determine Excel version, and replace the unavailable character with a simple “[edit]” text or certain character. Some parts are probably easier to do if data validation gets value from a single range of cells (from hidden sheet, for example). The people that uses modern Excel should not be affected.
Vu Nguyen 41 Reputation points

2021-01-04T10:39:09.763+00:00

Very useful approach. All of my data validation are already from ranges and some small functionalities are already version-based. Replacing them based on Excel version will not be a difficult task. Do you know if this character displaying is also OS-based?
Viorel 122.6K Reputation points

2021-01-04T10:44:55.187+00:00

I do not know if it is OS-based.
Vu Nguyen 41 Reputation points

2021-01-04T11:04:58.65+00:00

I hope that they/Microsoft will document this at some point. Emoji can become quite useful for communication. A picture could worth a thousand words.
Erin Ding-MSFT 4,476 Reputation points

2021-01-05T07:45:14.477+00:00

@Vu Nguyen

To provide a better user experience for you, you could post on Excel UserVoice.
This is a forum that Microsoft specifically uses to collect feedback from users.
Vu Nguyen 41 Reputation points

2021-01-05T12:03:52.277+00:00

I posted there. Emojis could be great communication tools, especially in the modern workforce. But I saw mostly data cruncher there :), don't know if it will receive many votes.
Erin Ding-MSFT 4,476 Reputation points

2021-01-06T09:26:00.137+00:00

@Vu Nguyen

Wish everything goes well.
If you have any updates, you could also share in this thread.
Vu Nguyen 41 Reputation points

2021-01-06T16:51:17.323+00:00

Sure, thanks for the help.
Erin Ding-MSFT 4,476 Reputation points

2021-01-07T01:17:19.823+00:00

You're welcome~

Share via

Emoji across excel version

1 answer

Your answer