Emojis and special characters represent a digital language beyond common barriers to understanding different languages. An emoji or special character can convey a message regardless of the native language of your audience since they are universally well-understood. Emojis and special characters can be used in presentations to create slides with infographics, mood boards, and even diagrams. Just like PowerPoint templates, you can edit your Google Slides templates using emojis that are available natively for Google Slides.
How to Add Emojis in Google Slides
To insert emojis in Google Slides, select a placeholder and go to Insert -> Special Characters. This menu also allows you to search for and add emojis to slides.
Note: If you simply click on an empty space on your slide, you will not be able to select the Special Characters option. It requires a placeholder, like a selected text box, to become available in the Insert menu.
Once the dialog box with special characters appears, select Emoji from the dropdown menu text to Categories. This menu is located in the middle of three menus in the Insert Special Characters dialog box.
This will show the available emojis that you can include in your slides. Simply click any emoji to add it to your slide.
Segregate Emojis by Category
If you want to segregate emojis and special characters, select a category from the dropdown menu on the right side of the dialog box. This will enable you to view emojis and special characters by categories such as People and Emotions, Animals, Plants, Food, Objects, Sports, Celebrations and Activities, Transport, Maps, Signage, Enclosed, Marks, Symbols, etc.
Search Emojis by Keywords
Another method to find emojis is to use the search bar quickly. You can type a keyword to look for emojis and special characters to insert them into slides.
Draw to Find an Emoji
To find an emoji, you can also draw it in the box available in the Insert Special Characters dialog box. This can help you quickly find an emoji or special character by scribbling it on the empty space instead of using a keyword or sifting through available categories.
The image below shows an example of an emoji inserted in Google Slides. You can creatively use emojis to design your slides to create visually appealing slides that can help grab your audience’s attention and convey a message using universally understood emojis, regardless of their native language.
You can use the placeholder where the emoji is placed to drag and drop it to a convenient location on the slide. To manage the size of the emoji, highlight it to select it and use the Increase or Decrease Font Size options to increase or reduce its size.
How to Insert Emojis in Google Using Extensions
While Google Slides provides emojis that you can use for your slides, various third-party extensions can help add emojis and other interesting images. Now that you know how to add emojis to Google Slides using the Special Characters menu, let us show you how to add emojis using third-party extensions.
To add an extension to Google Slides, go to Extensions -> Add-ons -> Get Add-ons to access the Google Workspace Marketplace.
Search for emoji extensions and add them to Google Slides. You will be asked to authenticate your Google account to add the selected extension, which is a standard practice for adding extensions to Google Slides.
Emoji Sidebar Extension for Google Slides
This extension for Google Slides comes with a large variety of emojis to insert in slides. These include more emoji types than natively available in Google Slides. Once installed, you can access this extension via Extensions -> Emoji Sidebar -> Insert Emoji.
Once the Emoji Sidebar extension opens, a sidebar with a list of emojis will appear. Click to select and copy an emoji and paste it to your slides via CTRL/Command+V or the right-click context menu to add it to your slide.
Like native emojis added in Google Slides, emojis inserted via the Emoji Sidebar extension can be increased or reduced in size using the Font Size menu upon selection.
Emoji Icons and Slides Extension for Google Slides
This is another handy extension to improve the range of emojis available with Google Slides. Once added, you can access the extension via Extensions -> Emojis and Icons for Slides -> Add Emojis.
This will open a sidebar with different categories, including one for emojis and icons related to education, transport, and website-specific topics.
Select the Emojis category to expand and insert emojis in Google Slides. Once you have identified your desired emoji or icon, click to add it to Google Slides.
AI Emoji Maker Extension for Google Slides
One can often find emojis lacking in the type of outlook you might want. If you want to generate elaborate emoji images, the AI Emoji Maker extension for Google Slides can help generate emojis based on your descriptions. This premium AI-driven extension can be great for making emojis that best match your presentation needs. Once installed, you can generate AI emojis via Extensions -> AI Emoji Maker -> Open.
To generate an emoji, type the description in the textbox and click Generate.
This will generate an emoji based on your description that you can insert in slides or download offline. To use the AI-generated emoji, you will be required to subscribe to a paid package. As of 2024, the available packages start at $3 per month with unlimited use.
Icons and Emojis by Iconduck Extension for Google Slides
Iconduck is an open-source library with over 273,858 free icons and illustrations. This extension brings these open-source icons and emojis to Google Slides. You can access this extension via Extensions -> Icons and Emojis by Icons Duck -> Search for Open Source Icons to begin your search for a wide range of emojis and icons.
Search and add an emoji to your slides and resize it using drag and drop. You can also format the emoji using Format Options via the right-click context menu.
Iconduck emojis can be easily recolored, and customizing them is arguably easier than customizing conventional emojis. Since Iconduck provides open-source icons and emojis, you get a library of thousands of high-quality free visual resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you insert emojis in Google Slides?
Yes, you can insert emojis in Google Slides using the Special Characters menu and from third-party emoji extensions.
Are Emojis available for Google Slides?
Yes, Google Slides provides emojis via the Special Characters option available from the Insert menu.
Can I get emojis of objects in Google Slides?
Yes, emojis for different types of animals, objects, cars, buildings, etc. However, some of these require installing third-party emoji extensions for Google Slides.
Can you resize an emoji in Google Slides?
Yes, you can resize an emoji in Google Slides by highlighting it and using the Font Size option to increase or decrease the emoji size by using the plus or minus buttons. You can also specify a size and hit Enter to resize an emoji.
Are there third-party emoji extensions for Google Slides?
Yes, there are various third-party emoji extensions for Google Slides, including Emoji Sidebar, Emoji Icons and Slides, Icons and Emojis by Iconduck, and the AI Emoji Maker extension.
Can you generate emojis using AI in Google Slides?
Yes, you can generate emojis using AI by using third-party extensions, such as the AI Emoji Maker extension for Google Slides.
Can you access open-source emojis in Google Slides?
Yes, Icons and Emojis by Iconduck is a third-party Google Slides extension that provides access to open-source icons and emojis.
Does Google Slides have an alternative for emojis?
Yes, special characters and icons in Google Slides can be used as an alternative to emojis.
What are some good Google Slides extensions that can provide alternatives for emojis?
In addition to emojis, you can use different Google Slides extensions with useful icons and clipart, including Icons by Noun Project, Icons for Google Slide and Google Docs, Free Clipart, and IconScout.
Final Words
Emojis represent a universal language that is now widely understood and goes beyond conventional language barriers. By incorporating emojis in slides, a presenter can convey a message using visual aids without translating it into different languages for a diverse audience. Like PowerPoint, Google Slides also provides emojis, which can be accessed via the Special Characters menu with a range of options to give your slides the emoji treatment. However, the native emoji options can seem limited, so third-party extensions can help increase the emojis available at your disposal.
Various third-party emoji extensions for Google Slides provide an extensive library of emojis and icons, enabling customization in your slides. You can also opt to generate emojis using premium AI-powered extensions like the AI Emoji Maker to enhance the look of your slides. By customizing emojis or generating them, you can make emojis suitable for use with your company branding and Google Slides templates.
