I love emojis, but there’s something nostalgic about old-fashioned typed emoticons. They evoke memories of a simpler time when AOL ruled the roost and phones still had actual keyboards with buttons. Yes, those are what we now affectionately call “the good old days.”
If typed emoticons still hold a special place in your heart like they do mine, especially the good ol’ shrugged emoticon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, here’s a quick look at how to type it in your phone or PC in two seconds or less.
Yes, you read that right. It only takes an extra second to relive the glory days of online communication. Ready? Here’s how:
How to Type the Classic Shrug Emoticon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ in Two Seconds or Less
The shrug emoticon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ is one of the more complex emoticons to type. Since it takes more than a press of a button, most people end up copying it from CopyShrug and other online sources.
However, if you love this emoticon as much as I do and plan on using it more than a few times, copying it from one of these sites and pasting it into your text or email box isn’t a viable option. You’ll need to visit the site, copy the emoticon, and paste it every single time you want to use it. Needless to say, the process can be annoyingly slow, especially when using your phone.
To use the shrug emoticon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ quickly and efficiently, we recommend using the autocorrect feature on your device to create a shortcut for the text replacement.
If you’re like most people, this is probably the first time using the autocorrect feature. While it can do other things, for the sake of this guide, we’ll stick to the emoticon shortcut.

Creating a shrug emoticon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ on a Windows laptop or PC:
Windows lacks an autocorrect feature, so if you want to create a shrug emoticon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, you’ll need to download PhraseExpress or a similar program to create text replacement shortcuts.
Creating a shrug emoticon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ on an Android device:
- Step 1 – Copy the text emoticon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
- Step 2 – Go to your device Settings.
- Step 3 – Press the “Language & Input” button.
- Step 4 – Select “All Languages.”
- Step 5 – Press the “+” button.
- Step 6 – Type “shrug” in the shortcut box.
- Step 7 – Paste ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ in the “Type a Word” box.
Creating a shrugging emoticon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ on a Mac:
- Step 1 – Copy the text emoticon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
- Step 2 – Go to your “System Preferences” folder.
- Step 3 – Click on “Keyboard.”
- Step 4 – Press the “Text” button.
- Step 5 – Type “shrug” in the “Replace” box.
- Step 6 – Paste ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ in the “With” box.
Creating a shrug emoji ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ on an iPhone:
- Step 1 – Copy the text emoticon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
- Step 2 – Go to “Settings.”
- Step 3 – Select “General.”
- Step 4 – Press “Keyboard.”
- Step 5 – Select the “Text Replacement” option.
- Step 6 – Choose the “+” button option.
- Step 7 – Type “shrug” in the “Shortcut” box.
- Step 8 – Paste ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ in the “Phrase” box.
For most other platforms, if they don’t have a built-in text replacement feature like the ones above, you can use a third-party app, plugin or program that provides this functionality. Just make sure to research any third-party apps to ensure they’re safe and reliable before installing them.
There you have it, that’s all there is to it!
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Jamie Spencer
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