How to Get Emojis on Galaxy J5

This guide shows you how to enable and use emojis on your Samsung Galaxy J5, covering both the stock Samsung keyboard and Google’s Gboard. You’ll learn how to switch on the emoji key, access the emoji picker, and what to do if emojis aren’t showing up in your messages. No special tools or downloads are required for the basic setup.

What You’ll Need

• Your Samsung Galaxy J5 (any variant: J5, J5 2016, J5 2017)
• An active text input field (like a message or note)
• Optional: Internet connection to download Gboard from the Play Store if you prefer that keyboard

Step-by-Step

Enable Emojis on the Stock Samsung Keyboard

1. Open any app where you can type, such as Messages, WhatsApp, or Notes.
2. Tap the text field to bring up the Samsung keyboard.
3. Look at the bottom row of the keyboard. You should see a smiley face icon (often next to the space bar or on the left side). If you see it, tap it to open the emoji panel.
4. If you don’t see the smiley face, you need to enable it. Tap the gear icon (Settings) on the keyboard’s toolbar, or go to the phone’s Settings > General Management > Language and Input > On-screen keyboard > Samsung Keyboard.
5. In the Samsung Keyboard settings, tap on “Layout” or “Keyboard layout and feedback”.
6. Look for an option called “Emoji key” or “Emoticon key”. Toggle it ON.
7. Go back to your text field. The smiley face icon should now appear on the keyboard. Tap it to see all available emojis.
8. Browse through the categories (recently used, smileys, animals, food, activities, travel, objects, symbols) by swiping left or right, or by tapping the category icons at the top.
9. Tap any emoji to insert it into your text.

Install and Use Gboard (Alternative Method)

1. Open the Play Store on your Galaxy J5.
2. Search for “Gboard” (Google Keyboard).
3. Tap “Install” and wait for it to download.
4. Open the app. It will guide you through enabling it. Follow the prompts: tap “Select Gboard” and then “Set as default keyboard”.
5. Open any text field. Gboard will now be your keyboard.
6. Tap the emoji icon (a smiley face) located on the bottom left, next to the space bar.
7. You’ll see the full emoji library. Swipe through categories or use the search bar at the top to find specific emojis.
8. Tap an emoji to add it to your message.

Common Mistakes

• Not enabling the emoji key: The most common issue is that the emoji button is hidden by default on the Samsung keyboard. You must go into keyboard settings and turn on the “Emoji key” option.
• Using an old Android version: If your Galaxy J5 is still running Android 5.0 or 6.0, the built-in emoji set is outdated. Some newer emojis (like the ones from Unicode 10+) won’t display correctly. You’ll see blank boxes or squares. Updating the system (if available) or using Gboard can help, but the system emoji font itself may remain old.
• Confusing emoji with stickers: Some apps (like Samsung Messages) have a separate sticker button. Stickers are images, not emojis. Make sure you’re tapping the emoji icon, not the sticker icon.
• Not updating the keyboard app: Both Samsung Keyboard and Gboard receive updates. If you don’t update them, you might miss new emoji characters.

Tips

• Use the search bar in Gboard: Instead of scrolling through hundreds of emojis, type a keyword like “pizza” or “happy” in the emoji search bar to find the right one instantly.
• Long-press for emoji variations: On Gboard, you can long-press certain emojis (like the smiley faces) to see skin tone variations and related characters.
• Frequently used emojis: Both keyboards show a “Recently Used” or “Frequently Used” section at the beginning of the emoji panel, so your favorites are always at hand.
• If you’re on Android 7.0 or higher: You can also use the built-in emoji picker in some apps by long-pressing the text field and selecting “Emoji” from the pop-up menu.

Troubleshooting

Emoji key still not showing after enabling it

Restart your phone. If that doesn’t work, go to Settings > Apps > Samsung Keyboard (or Gboard) and tap “Force Stop”. Then reopen a text field. If the issue persists, clear the keyboard’s cache: Settings > Apps > Samsung Keyboard > Storage > Clear Cache.

Emojis appear as blank squares (□□)

This means your phone’s system font doesn’t support those specific Unicode characters. Your Galaxy J5 likely has an older Android version. Try updating the phone’s software via Settings > Software Update. If no update is available, install Gboard—it uses its own emoji font and will display most modern emojis correctly, though some very new ones may still not appear.

Emojis work in some apps but not others

Some older apps (or apps with custom text fields) may not support the emoji picker. In that case, you can copy an emoji from another app (like a note) and paste it into the text field. Or, use Gboard’s clipboard feature to save frequently used emojis.

Gboard not showing emoji icon

Make sure Gboard is set as your default keyboard. Go to Settings > General Management > Language and Input > Default Keyboard and select Gboard. If the emoji icon is still missing, open Gboard settings (tap the gear icon on the keyboard) and ensure “Emoji” is enabled under Preferences.

After a system update, emojis disappeared

Sometimes updates reset keyboard settings. Re-enable the emoji key in Samsung Keyboard settings as described in Step 1. If you’re using Gboard, re-check that it’s still set as default.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Galaxy J5 support emojis?

Yes, all Galaxy J5 models support emojis. The stock Samsung keyboard has them, and you can also install Gboard for a more extensive set.

Why do some emojis look different on my J5 compared to my friend’s phone?

Each Android version and manufacturer uses its own emoji font. Samsung’s emojis look different from Google’s, and older Android versions have fewer characters. This is normal.

Can I add new emojis to my Galaxy J5 without updating the OS?

Yes, installing Gboard adds a newer emoji font that supports more characters. However, if the system itself is too old, some emojis may still not render in all apps.

How do I get the emoji keyboard on WhatsApp on my J5?

WhatsApp uses your system keyboard. So simply enable the emoji key on your Samsung keyboard or install Gboard, and the emoji icon will appear in WhatsApp’s text field.

My J5 is stuck on Android 5.1. Can I still get emojis?

Yes, you can use Gboard, which includes its own emoji set. However, emojis that require newer Unicode versions (released after 2015) may not display correctly in all apps because the system font is old.

Is there a way to type emojis using the physical keyboard? (if using a Bluetooth keyboard)

Not directly on the J5. You can use the on-screen emoji picker, or use keyboard shortcuts like typing “:) ” which some apps auto-convert to emojis.

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