What kaomoji are
Kaomoji (顔文字, “face characters”) are text faces from Japan. Unlike Western emoticons like :-), which you read sideways, kaomoji are read the right way up, and the eyes do most of the talking: (^_^) is happy, (T_T) is crying, (¬_¬) is unimpressed.
They spread on Japanese online forums in the 1980s and 1990s, and they borrow freely from Japanese, Korean, Greek and other alphabets for mouths, arms and blushes.
Kaomoji vs emoji
Emoji are pictures that each app draws its own way. Kaomoji are made of ordinary characters, so they look the same in every app and work in places that don't show emoji well, like some games, terminals and older phones. They also feel a bit more personal, since a face like (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ says something no single emoji does.
Fixing the shrug in Discord and Reddit
Discord, Reddit and other apps that use Markdown treat a backslash as an escape and underscores as italics, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ can lose its arm and come out as ¯_(ツ)_/¯.
To fix it, type ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ (three backslashes before the first underscore, one before the second) or wrap the face in backticks so it shows as code. This tool copies the plain face, which works as is in WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram and most other apps.
Tips for using kaomoji
One kaomoji at the end of a message adds tone without taking over. In a bio, a small face like (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) or ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ adds personality in a few characters.
A few faces use rarer characters that older phones may show as an empty box. If someone says they see squares, pick a simpler face from the same mood. Screen readers read kaomoji character by character, so they work best as decoration, not as the whole message.
Frequently asked questions
What does kaomoji mean?
It's Japanese for “face characters”: kao (顔) means face and moji (文字) means characters. It's the name for text faces like (^_^) and (╥﹏╥).
How do I type the table flip?
Tap it in the Table flip group to copy (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻, then paste it. To put the table back, use ┬─┬ノ( º _ ºノ).
Why is my shrug missing an arm on Discord?
Discord reads the backslash as an escape character and drops it. Type ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ with the extra backslashes, or put the face between backticks.
What's the difference between kaomoji and emoticons?
Western emoticons like :) are read sideways. Kaomoji are read upright and focus on the eyes, like (^_^) for a smile.
Do kaomoji work on every phone?
Most do. They're plain text, but a few use rare characters that very old phones can't show. Simple faces like (◕‿◕) and ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ work almost everywhere.