TikTok Emojis: How To Use Them and Enhance Your Content

Emojis are a special kind of visual — they're a universal language that adds personality and emotion to your content.

You may have seen other TikTok creators make their videos pop with unique emojis that you can't find on your keyboard. These are hidden and platform-specific. Once you know how they work, you can use them to stand out in the comments, differentiate your username, or grab attention on TikTok’s For You Page.

Learn how to add TikTok emojis to your content and spark curiosity among your followers.

Why You Should Try TikTok’s Hidden Emojis

TikTok's hidden emojis are a fun feature that can boost engagement and make your content pop. They're lesser-known visual elements that add creativity and intrigue to captions, comments, and usernames. When people see you use them, they'll likely become curious and click on your content.

Here’s why you should give them a try:

• Increase engagement — Posts with emojis can see a 25% to 57% increase in shares and interaction rates. Not only do hidden emojis draw attention, but they make content more visually appealing and engaging.
• Build a unique identity — Using hidden emojis in your username can make your profile instantly recognizable and memorable, helping you capture attention in a crowd of text-based creator tags.
• Strengthen emotional connection — Emojis convey emotions and tone in ways that text alone can't do. Hidden emojis also feel exclusive, making your followers feel like they're part of a special community.‍
• Boost discoverability — Adding hidden emojis to captions and comments can improve visibility through SEO by grabbing attention and encouraging more likes, replies, and shares.

How To Use TikTok’s Hidden Emojis

Using TikTok's hidden emojis is easier than you might think. You can access these secret icons with specific text codes to unlock visuals not found on standard emoji keyboards. Here's how to get TikTok’s emojis and add them to your content: 

• Find the secret TikTok emoji codes — You can activate TikTok's secret emojis through special text codes enclosed in square brackets. For example, typing “[smile]” will produce a smiley face exclusive to TikTok.
• Type the code into a caption or comment — When creating a caption or leaving a comment, enter the text code for the secret emoji you want to use. Make sure you include the square brackets exactly as they appear in the emoji code, or it won't render correctly.
• Experiment with placements — Use hidden emojis strategically in captions, usernames, and comments. Whether emphasizing a call to action or making your profile more visually appealing, these icons can make your content stand out and spark curiosity.
• Preview and post — Preview your content after adding the hidden emojis to ensure they appear as you want. Then, post your video or comment and watch how these unique visuals catch attention and encourage engagement.

15 Hidden TikTok Emojis To Try

Here’s a list of some popular hidden TikTok emojis, their shortcodes, and how you can use them to add visual appeal to your posts.

1. Smiley Face

• What it is — A cheerful pink face with a big smile.
• Use it to — Spread positivity and joy in captions or replies. 
• Shortcode — [smile]

2. Happy Face

• What it is — A peach-toned face with an open-mouth grin.
• Use it to — Express excitement or celebrate wins.
• Shortcode — [happy]

3. Angry Face

• What it is — A red, scowling face with furrowed brows.
• Use it to — Playfully show frustration or intensity.
• Shortcode — [angry]

4. Crying Face

• What it is — A blue face with teardrops streaming down.
• Use it to — Express sadness or jokingly dramatic moments.
• Shortcode — [cry]

5. Blushing Face

• What it is — A sweet yellow face with rosy cheeks and bashful eyes.
• Use it for — Shy, flirty, or heartwarming content.
• Shortcode — [flushed]

6. Shocked Face

• What it is — A wide-eyed peach face with an open mouth.
• Use it to — React to surprising or unexpected moments.
• Shortcode — [surprised]

7. Cute Nervous Face

• What it is — A yellow face with sad eyes and fingers touching, representing shyness.
• Use it for — Timid or apologetic TikTok posts.
• Shortcode — [wronged]

8. Shouting Face

• What it is — A purple face with a loud, open-mouthed roar.
• Use it to — Express frustration or playful aggression.
• Shortcode — [shout]

9. Hungry Face

• What it is — A happy pink face with its tongue out and eyes squinting.
• Use it for — Food-related posts or content.
• Shortcode — [yummy]

10. Cool Sunglasses Face

• What it is — A laid-back blue face wearing sunglasses.
• Use it for — Relaxed, carefree content.
• Shortcode — [complacent]

11. Drooling Heart-Eyes Face

• What it is — A pink face with dreamy heart-shaped eyes and a bit of drool.
• Use it for — TikTok posts expressing admiration or love.
• Shortcode — [drool]

12. Scared Screaming Face

• What it is — A blue face clutching its cheeks with a dramatic scream.
• Use it for — Funny or over-the-top reactions.
• Shortcode — [scream]

13. Single Tear Face

• What it is — A pale blue face shedding a tear.
• Use it to — Express gentle sadness or heartfelt emotions.
• Shortcode — [weep]

14. Embarrassed Sweating Face

• What it is — A sideways-looking face with a nervous sweat bead dripping from its forehead.
• Use it for — Awkward or speechless situations.
• Shortcode — [speechless]

15. Shy Hand Gesture Face

• What it is — A yellow face making a bashful hand gesture.
• Use it for — Timid, cute, or lightheartedly apologetic content.
• Shortcode — [shy]

How To Add Emojis on Your Username

Adding emojis to your TikTok username is a great way to personalize your profile and make it more memorable. To do it, follow these steps:

1. Open TikTok and go to your profile — Launch the TikTok app and head to your profile by tapping the profile icon in the lower-right corner. This will take you to your page, where you can customize your account details. 
2. Access the editing options — Tap the "Edit Profile" button beneath your profile picture. This opens the settings where you can update details like your username, bio, and profile picture.
3. Add emojis to your username — Select the username field and delete or change your existing text. Then, switch to your device's emoji keyboard and pick the ones that best reflect your personality, brand, or niche. For example:

• Use a sparkle emoji ✨ for a glamorous or charismatic vibe.
• Add a music note 🎵 if you’re a musician.
• Try a fire emoji 🔥 for energy or excitement.

4. Save and check your profile — After adding emojis, save the changes. Your new username, complete with emojis, will now appear on your profile and posts. Double-check to make sure it appears exactly how you want it to.

The Secret Code to TikTok Success

Adding TikTok's hidden emojis to your posts, comments, and usernames helps your personality shine through your content. To enhance your videos even further, add descriptive, accurate captions using Captions’ TikTok Video Editor. 

With built-in AI features, Captions automatically generates word-by-word subtitles for your videos. Pair these captions and engaging transitions with TikTok's hidden emojis, and customize your on-screen text with colors, styles, and emojis to match your aesthetic.

Edit your TikTok videos with Captions today.