Emoji and Symbols Viewer not working on El Capitan

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

Step 1

The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.

Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”

While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your documents or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this behavior; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.

Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?

After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.

*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.

Step 2

The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.

Please take this step regardless of the results of Step 1.

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem.

Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.

The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of Steps 1 and 2.

Something I have found is if you've used an external monitor and left the tools showing on that external screen that when you try and access the Emoji and Symbols tool it isn't visible as it's still trying to show on the other screen - a solution if so is to plug it back into the screen and drag it back onto your default screen.

To fix the problem trash these two files and then restart:

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.CharacterPicker.plist

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.CharacterPaletteIM.plist

Is it showing in the menu bar?

Keyboard preferences does not show an emoji option even in "safe boot"; guest login doesn't show keyboard preference icon.

Count me in as another user for whom the Emoji's refuse to work. I click the cursor where I want the Emoji to go and make sure it is flashing where I click. Then I bring up the Emoji window (Control-Command-Space) and click on the Emoji I want. It acts as though it has been selected and the window fades out. I look at the document (usually a Mail message) and there is no Emoji. If there are more of us, I sure hope Apple works to get this fixed.

By the way, I discovered the Emoji's work in Safari 🙂 See? But not in Mail.

I'm having a similar problem... I press Control and Command simultaneously followed by Space Bar to bring up the Emoji pane. I click on a smiley/emoji to select and paste it on the space where the typing cursor is, but it only selects the smiley/emoji.. it doesn't paste it on the available space.

MBP 13", El Capitan v.10.11.2.

I have an identical issue MBP mid 2010 El Capitan 10.11.6

After reading another post here I just quit safari and it all worked as advertised. Strange one!

What were the files? Their names would save other people like me some time!