How to type special characters

Accented characters

To type an accented character, like é, ö, or ñ, hold down the corresponding letter key. Press the number under the variant you want, or use the arrow keys to select and press Return to insert it.

Emoji and symbols

For more, pressing Cmd+Ctrl+ [Space] works in many places, but not all — not in Spotlight, say. Click the icons in the bottom bar to view categories, scroll, or type the word for what you want.

Even more symbols

The top group contains characters you use often. You can drag this panel away to keep it handy. Or, scroll to the top and click the button at top right to open an expanded character viewer.

Custom categories

Extra categories are offered here. Click the cogwheel and pick Customize List. Checked categories are added to the regular viewer’s bottom bar, too. You can also reset the Frequently Used list here.

Look up variations

If the search bar doesn’t find the (non-emoji) letter or symbol you want, select something similar and look in the bottom-right pane for variations from other fonts, related characters, or both.

Favorite characters

Your Recently Used list changes over time. To keep a character around, click Add to Favorites, bottom-right in the expanded viewer, to add it to a group that persists near the top of both viewers.