How to Use Emoticons in Text Messages

Using emoticons is a great way to show a bit of emotion in your cell phone text messages. The term "emoticon," is the combination of the words emotion and icon and describes little graphics that users can insert into text messages to express their emotions.

Instructions

1. Type your text message like you typically do on your alphanumeric or QWERTY keypad.

2. Click on the "Options" button or the "Tools" button on your cell phone's text messaging window to search for the emoticon that best conveys the emotion of your choice. Once you're in the "Options" or "Tools" menu, scroll down and click on "Icons" or "Emoticons." A window will open with a list of emoticons.

3. Scroll through the different emoticons. There are different emoticons for just about any type of emotion, ranging from happy, excited, sad, angry to shy. Click on the emoticon that you want to use and it will appear in your text message.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 to find as many different emoticons that you would like to use in your text message.

5. Create your own emoticons if your phone doesn't offer them. For example type a colon and a right parenthesis, to create a smiley face, or use a left parenthesis to make a sad face. Be creative and you will be able to express a wide range of emotions through your homemade emoticons.

6. Continue writing your text message and click "Send" when you're ready to send your emoticon laden message to your text buddy.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish