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How to Insert and Display Emojis in a Form Text Control

John Wilson Oct 20, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to insert emojis into a form text control and ensure they display properly without losing their original colors or turning into generic shapes.

How to Insert and Display Emojis in a Form Text Control

Product: Form Text Controls
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Using emojis inside an If condition or form text box for visual feedback.
Observed behavior: The selected emoji loses its appearance, rendering as a plain black or gray circle instead of the intended colorful graphic.

Before you start

Ensure that your operating system supports colorful emoji rendering, as some older environments default to monochrome text symbols by design.

Solution 1Recommended

Apply Conditional Formatting to Restore Emoji Color

Use this method if the emoji appears correctly shaped but loses its color when evaluated in an If condition.

In some form text controls, the rich text graphics of an emoji are stripped away, leaving only a monochrome silhouette. You can simulate the original color by dynamically changing the text color of the control based on its current value.

Select the text control

Click on the specific text box or form control that contains the If condition and the emoji.

Open Conditional Formatting

Navigate to the toolbar and click on the Conditional Formatting option.

Set the rule condition

Create a new rule based on a specific value. For example, set the condition to trigger when a specific variable meets your criteria (e.g., [Text13]=1).

Apply text color

In the formatting options for the rule, change the text font color to match the desired emoji color (such as green for a checkmark or red for a cross), then save and apply.

Apply Conditional Formatting to Restore Emoji Color

Color Automation: This workaround ensures that every time your If condition evaluates to true, the form control automatically applies the correct color to the text symbol.

Solution 2

Use Symbol Fonts as an Alternative

If the form control completely fails to render standard Unicode emojis, using a symbol font is a reliable fallback.

Seamless Emoji Integration

Use WPS Office for Reliable Emoji Display in Forms

WPS Office fully supports modern Unicode emojis across its Writer documents and Spreadsheets. You can easily insert and display colorful emojis in your forms and formulas without them turning into gray circles.

1. Open your file in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your document or spreadsheet.
2. Select the input area: Click on the cell or form text field where you want the emoji to be displayed.
3. Insert the emoji: Use your system's built-in emoji keyboard (Win + Period on Windows, or Cmd + Ctrl + Space on Mac) to select and insert your desired emoji.
4. View the result: The emoji will render natively in full color, functioning flawlessly even inside complex IF formulas.

Native support for modern, colorful emojis in cells and text boxesFully compatible with Microsoft Office formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx)Rich text formatting capabilities that preserve your intended graphical displayLightweight application with a familiar, easy-to-use interface

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do emojis appear as black and white circles in my form controls?

Many older or restricted form text controls only support standard monochrome text fonts. They strip out the rich graphical color data of modern Unicode emojis, causing them to render as plain black or gray outlines.

Can I use standard Windows emojis inside formulas?

Yes, you can insert standard emojis directly into If formulas (e.g., IF(A1>0, '😊', '😢')). However, whether they display in color depends entirely on the text box or cell's rich text rendering capabilities.

What is the Wingdings font and how does it help?

Wingdings is a legacy symbol font that maps standard alphabetical keyboard characters to specific icons. Using it ensures the icon displays consistently across all platforms, making it a great workaround when modern colorful emojis are unsupported.

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