How to Make Emoticons on a Phone

Combine a semicolon and an end parenthesis to make a wink.

One of the biggest problems with text messaging is the lack of emotions conveyed through text alone. If you read a text message at random, you have no way of knowing how the sender was feeling. Text messaging is similar to Internet chat in that you can use emoticons to express your emotions. You can type a frowning face to convey sadness or anger, for instance. Emoticon shortcuts are typically embedded in your phone for quick use during text messages so you don't have to type them out.

Instructions

1. Open your text-message dialog box and enter your text as normal.

2. Press the "Options" or "Insert" button on your keypad.

3. Use the arrow keys to navigate to "Insert Emoticon." Press "OK."

4. Scroll through the selection of emoticons and press "OK" when you get to the one you want. Select your emoticon carefully; they mean different things. For example, the tongue-sticking-out ":-P" conveys a snarky or teasing feeling. A wink, ";-)" is flirtatious. A smile is ":-)", and a frown is ":-(".

5. Use the "Insert Symbol" function on your phone to type your own custom emoticons using punctuation marks.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult your phone's user manual for specific instructions about creating an emoticon.

• Don't rely on emoticons to completely convey the meaning of your text. They can be misunderstood or seen as insincere.

References

• ChatSlang; Common Emoticons and Smilies; 2008