Emoticons let you express fun, quirky sentiments via text message, online chat or e-mail. Emoticons are simply facial expressions represented pictorially through keyboard symbols. Chances are you've figured out how to make a smiley face and frowny face on your keypad. Many emoticons use simple characters, but you can make yours more interesting with some embellishment. Using the right keyboard characters, you can turn that smiley face into a kissy face in any text-based message.

  • Emoticons let you express fun, quirky sentiments via text message, online chat or e-mail.
  • Using the right keyboard characters, you can turn that smiley face into a kissy face in any text-based message.

Insert this symbol "<" if you want to give your face a hat. This is called a "caret" and it's inserted by holding "Shift" and pressing the comma on a standard keyboard, or it's found in the "Special Characters" section on a cell phone. You can have fun embellishing the kissy face by exploring extra symbols.

Insert ":" or "=" for eyes. The ":" symbol, or colon, is to the right of the "L" key, and you insert it by holding the "Shift" key while pressing the "semicolon" key. It is also in the "Special Characters" section on cell phones. The "=" or "equals" symbol is next to the backspace button or on the "Special Characters" menu.

Insert a "" or "X." The "," or "asterisk," is inserted from a cell phone's "Special Characters" menu or by holding "Shift" and pressing the "8" on a keyboard. The "X" can be upper case for a standard kissy face, or you can use a lower case "x" for a sideways kiss.

  • Insert ":" or "=" for eyes.
  • Insert a "_" or "X."
  • The "_," or "asterisk," is inserted from a cell phone's "Special Characters" menu or by holding "Shift" and pressing the "8" on a keyboard.