TikTok Emojis: Secret Codes to Copy and Paste

What the secret TikTok emojis are

They are 46 code words in square brackets that TikTok replaces with its own small face images. TikTok publishes no list (we checked its support pages, newsroom and Creator Academy on 3 October 2026). Every code above appears in all 7 guides under Sources, and the list matches Emojipedia's TikTok emoji reference exactly: 46 codes, with TikTok's artwork catalogued in July 2020 and the list called correct as of April 2021 in Emojipedia's guide.

The guides describe two sets: 23 round faces and 23 dumpling-shaped faces. The happy TikTok emoji, [happy], is a "round face with squinting eyes and a wide, open grin". If you are looking for the TikTok smirk emoji, that is the proud TikTok emoji, [proud]: a "dumpling-shaped face with a smug smirk, looking down".

How to type a TikTok emoji code

Type the code word in lowercase inside square brackets, then post.

1. Copy a code from the list, or type it exactly as shown, for example [laughwithtears].
2. Paste it into a comment in the TikTok mobile app.
3. Post. TikTok swaps the bracketed word for its own emoji image after the comment or caption is posted, so the brackets can still show while you are typing.

Where the codes work, and where guides disagree

Comments are the safe bet; everything else depends on which guide you read. None of the guides reports a difference by country or region.

When a code won't convert

• Check the spelling. Lowercase, inside square brackets, spelled exactly as listed. Copy it from the list.
• Update the app. If a code does not convert, update the TikTok app first. (Metricool)
• Use the mobile app. Guides disagree about the website.
• Try a comment if a caption shows the plain code.
• It may have changed. TikTok does not document these codes, so the set can change without notice.

How the codes differ from regular emoji

Regular emoji are Unicode characters that work in any app; TikTok's codes are not characters at all; outside TikTok they stay plain bracketed text. For regular emoji, see our emoji meanings dictionary and the guide to what every smiley face means.

Four regular emoji common in comments, with their general (not TikTok-specific) meanings:

• 💀 skull: Means figuratively "dying", most often from laughing, as in "I'm dead". Not to be confused with ☠️ Skull and Crossbones, which is more often a warning about danger or poison.
• 😭 loudly crying face: Often used in an exaggerated, humorous way for overwhelming emotion, including laughter, joy, excitement or love.
• ✨ sparkles: Adds positive feelings such as excitement, love, beauty or gratitude. Since late 2023 a similar sparkle icon is widely used to mark AI features in apps. Dictionary.com notes it is occasionally used with a sexual meaning.
• 🔥 fire: Says something is impressive, exciting or excellent, like the slang "fire" or "lit". Dictionary.com notes that, because "lit" and "fire" are also drug slang, it is sometimes used that way.

On a computer, use the emoji keyboard shortcut for Windows, Mac and phones, or the Mac emoji shortcut.

Why this page shows no emoji images

TikTok owns the artwork, so we show codes and our own descriptions instead. Some sites hand out TikTok's emoji images as downloads; we do not. A copied code becomes the real image inside TikTok, the only place it renders.

Posting TikToks with Outfeed

Outfeed AI writes, schedules and publishes to 9 platforms from one chat. On TikTok it sends: A video post, or a photo post of up to 35 JPEG or WebP images, sent through TikTok's Content Posting API. Posts currently publish as private (visible only to the connected account) while TikTok reviews the Outfeed app.

We have not checked whether codes in a caption sent that way convert, so add them in the TikTok app. For words, try the TikTok caption generator or the TikTok comment generator; then see how to schedule TikTok posts and the best time to post on TikTok.