Here's how you can set OS X to show keyboard emoji and symbols entry option in the Mac menu bar.

Deny it all you want but all of us have started to use emoji and special characters way more than ever before, and the credit goes to the boom of the IM culture, if you're a person who opts to call it that. While emoji characters are all well and good when it comes to mobile, but it can be a bit of pain to utilize especially if you're a desktop user. But worry not, we're here to help and will hopefully give your emoji game a big boost by the time you're done reading this, by enabling an emoji and symbols option in the Mac menu bar, giving you easy access to all emoji and special symbols all the time no matter where you are in OS X.

Step Up Your Emoji Game In Mac OS X With A Dedicated Entry In The Menu Bar

1. Launch System Preferences. You can do so by clicking on the 'Apple' logo in the Mac menu bar at the top, then clicking 'System Preferences.'

2. In the list of available options, click on the one that says 'Keyboard.'

3. Under the 'Keyboard' tab, click on the 'Show Keyboard, Emoji & Symbol Viewers in menu bar' option.

4. In the menu bar, you'll now see a new icon. Click on it.

5. Now click on 'Show Emoji & Symbols.'

6. Select your favorite emoji and type away like a pro!

Alternatively, you can access the emoji characters option by pressing Command+Control+Spacebar on your Mac's keyboard. But be sure to select a text box first before hitting that key combination. And the biggest drawback of this option is that the emoji box disappears as soon as you select a character from it.

This is a really handy little feature to know about, especially if you interact on social networks a lot. Furthermore, unlike the emoji keyboard on iOS, the Mac version will show you in detail what a particular emoji implies. For example, in the above screenshot you can see that the usual smiley face that we use is called a 'Grinning face,' and you also get font variations for a select emoji as well, which is absolutely neat if you're asking us.

If you found today's guide useful, then be sure to drop a comment in the section below. We'll be back with more how-to guides in the near future as well, so stay tuned to our coverage!