The emoji panel on Windows 10 can be used to add emojis to a text document or chats without using the built-in program or website keyboard. The emoji panel is popular with users across the globe. You can access it by using the WINDOWS + . or WINDOWS + ; keyboard shortcut. However, in some cases, the emoji panel does not launch when you use the keyboard shortcut.

There are various fixes that can help resolve the issue. Try the fixes mentioned below one at a time in the sequence that they are mentioned until the issue is resolved.

1. Restart the Computer

One of the simplest and quickest fixes for the error is to restart the computer. If you were able to access the emoji panel the last time you turned on your computer, there’s a good chance that restarting it will do the job.

You can restart the computer either from the ‘Start Menu’ or with the ALT + F4 keyboard shortcut. After you press the shortcut, select ‘Restart’ from the drop-down menu and then click on ‘OK’ to restart.

2. Change the Region and Display Language

Windows 10 earlier allowed the emoji panel only for those in the United States. The feature was added for other regions as well in the subsequent updates. But if you are unable to access the feature due to an error, you may try changing the region and display language to the United States.

To change the region and display language, press WINDOWS + I to launch ‘Settings’ and then select ‘Time & Language’ from the list of options.

You will now find various tabs on the left, select ‘Region’ from the list.

Now, click on the box under ‘Cuntry or region’ to view the various other options.

Next, select ‘United States’ from the menu.

After you have changed the region, it’s time to check the display language. Click on the ‘Language’ tab at the left and check if the display language is set to ‘English (United States)’. In case it isn’t, click on the box and select the option from the menu.

After you have made the changes, check if the error in launching the emoji panel has been fixed.

3. Update Windows

In case you are running an older version of Windows 10, update to the latest version. There is a chance that there are bugs with the current version and updating to the latest version will resolve the issue.

To update to the current version, press WINDOWS + I to launch the system ‘Settings’ and click on ‘Update & Security’.

In the ‘Update & Security’ settings, the ‘Windows Update’ tab will open by default since it’s first in the list. Next, click on the ‘Check for updates’ option on the right. The Windows will now check if there are any available updates. If there are any, download and install them on your computer.

Once you have installed the updates, you will be asked to restart your computer. Check if the issue after you restart, if not, move to the next fix.

4. Manually Run Ctfmon.exe

If the Ctfmon.exe stops running, it may lead to an error in launching the emoji panel. The easiest way to fix the issue is by manually running Ctfmon.exe and then being able to launch the emoji panel using the keyboard shortcuts.

To run Ctfmon.exe, you will first need to launch ‘Run’. Press WINDOWS + R to launch ‘Run’.

After you have launched the ‘Run’ command, enter the following path in the text box and click on ‘OK’ at the bottom.

C:\Windows\System32\ctfmon.exe

The Ctfmon.exe will now run. Check if the error has been fixed and you can access the emoji panel.

5. Enable Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service from Services

If the ‘Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service’ is not running, it may sometimes lead to an error loading the emoji panel. You can run the service from the ‘Services’ program.

To run ‘Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service’, press WINDOWS + R to launch the ‘Run’ command, enter ‘services.msc’ in the text box and then click on ‘OK’ at the bottom.

In the ‘Services’ window, scroll down and look for ‘Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service’. The various options are listed in alphabetical order so it wouldn’t be difficult to locate it. Once you locate the option, right-click on it and then select ‘Properties’ from the menu.

In the properties window, click on the box next to ‘Startup type’ and then select ‘Automatic’ from the drop-down menu.

After you have selected ‘Automatic’ as the startup type, click on ‘OK’ at the bottom to save the changes.

Now, restart your computer and check if you are able to access the emoji panel. In case the error still remains unresolved, the next fix would definitely resolve it.

6. Use Registry Editory

This last option you have to fix the error is by making changes to the registry. Before you make any changes, create a backup of it. Also, ensure extra caution while making the edits as any minor mistake might damage your computer and render it unusable. Follow the steps exactly as mentioned and don’t try to experiment with or change anything other settings.

Press WINDOWS + R to launch the ‘Run’ command, enter ‘regedit’ in the text box and then click on ‘OK’ to launch the ‘Registry Editor’.

In the ‘Registry Editor’ window, either type the following in the address bar at the top and press ENTER or navigate the path.

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Input\Settings

Next, right-click on the empty space at the right of the listed entries, select ‘New’, and then select ‘DWORD (32-bit) Value’ from the menu. Name the DWORD value as ‘EnableExpressiveInputShellHotkey’.

Next, right-click on the file and select ‘Modify’ from the context menu to change its value data.

In the text boxt under ‘Value data’, enter ‘1’ instead of ‘0’ and then click on ‘OK’ at the bottom to save the change.

After you have made all the necessary edits to the ‘Registry Editor’, close the window and then restart your computer. Once the computer restarts, you would be able to access the emoji panel through the keyboard shortcuts.

Of the fixes mentioned above, one of them must have fixed the error accessing the emoji panel. Now that you can access the emoji panel, use it to express emotions and have a fun and interactive conversation with your friends and colleagues.