Slash for Mac

Every emoji, two slashes away.

Q: Why two slashes and not one?

Many apps already use a single / for their own commands, for example ChatGPT, Slack, Discord and Notion. Slash waits for the second /. It then removes the first / from the text field, so the other app's command menu closes and your text stays clean.

Q: Will // get in the way when I type a link?

No. // opens the picker only at the start of typing, after a space, or after an emoji. It stays normal text inside a link or a word such as https:// and and//or, when the two slashes are typed more than 0.4 seconds apart, and when you press Space right after //. If you type something that cannot be an emoji name, the picker closes and types back exactly what you typed.

Q: Which permission does Slash need, and why?

One: Accessibility, in System Settings, Privacy & Security, Accessibility. macOS requires it for any app that reacts to keys typed in other apps and types text into them. Slash asks on first start and begins working as soon as the switch is on. No restart is needed.

Type // in any app on your Mac. Pick an emoji. Press Enter. Your hands never leave the keyboard.

Download for Mac Watch the film

macOS 13 or later

The Slash emoji picker open at the text cursor in a chat app on a MacBook

Try it. Click the message field and type //, or press ⌥/ Try it. Tap the message field and type //

You are in the middle of a sentence. You want one emoji.

So your hand leaves the keyboard. You find the mouse, open a panel, scroll, click, and come back. Five steps for one small picture.

Slash is an emoji picker for your keyboard. It opens where you type, in every app, and it closes the moment you press Enter. Your flow stays whole.

How it works

Three keys. That is the whole app.

Step 1

Type two slashes.

Anywhere you can type. Slash takes the slashes back and opens the picker right at your text cursor. Or press ⌥ /.
Step 2

Pick.

Type a name like heart, lol or thumbsup, or move with the arrow keys. Your favorites are already on top.
Step 3

Press Enter.

The emoji is in your text. The picker is gone. Keep typing. You never touched the mouse.

Works everywhere

One shortcut. Every app.

Slash is not a plug-in for one messenger. It works in every text field on your Mac. Use the same emoji keyboard shortcut in WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Viber, Slack, Discord and Messages, and on any website in your browser.

The windows above are simple drawings for this demo. In the real apps, Slash opens the same picker at your text cursor.

Features

A small app with sharp details.

Just type its name.

Type emoji with your keyboard the way you already think of them: heart, lol, thumbsup, +1. Exact names come first, then names that start with what you typed. Favorites and the emojis you use most are always on top.

3,900+

Every emoji your Mac can draw.

Faces, hands, flags and all skin tones, in nine categories. Press Tab to jump between them.

Favorites, one key away.

Press Space on an emoji to star it. Favorites open first. Hold Shift and use the arrows to reorder them.

All keyboard. No mouse.

Keyboard shortcuts in the Slash emoji picker
`//` or `⌥/`	Open the picker
`Enter`	Insert the selected emoji
`←↑↓→`	Move the selection
`Space`	Add or remove a favorite
`Tab`	Next category
`Esc`	Close. Nothing is inserted

Safe where you write code.

In Xcode, VS Code, Cursor, Terminal, iTerm and JetBrains editors, // stays a comment. Links like https:// stay links. When you want an emoji there, press ⌥ /.

// TODO: ship before Friday
const docs = "https://example.com";
const half = width / 2;

Light and dark.

The picker follows your Mac's appearance.

Private by design.

Slash has no network code. It keeps three things on your Mac: your favorites, how often you used each emoji, and your per-app choices. It asks for one permission, Accessibility, which macOS requires for any app that types into other apps.

The film

See it in half a minute.

A short film about two keystrokes.

Questions and answers.

Why two slashes and not one?

Many apps already use a single / for their own commands, for example ChatGPT, Slack, Discord and Notion. Slash waits for the second /. It then removes the first / from the text field, so the other app's command menu closes and your text stays clean.

Will // get in the way when I type a link?

No. // opens the picker only at the start of typing, after a space, or after an emoji. It stays normal text inside a link or a word such as https:// and and//or, when the two slashes are typed more than 0.4 seconds apart, and when you press Space right after //. If you type something that cannot be an emoji name, the picker closes and types back exactly what you typed.

Does Slash work in code editors and terminals?

In code editors and terminals such as Xcode, VS Code, Cursor, Terminal, iTerm and JetBrains, // starts a comment, so Slash leaves it alone. Press ⌥ / (Option and slash) there instead. That shortcut opens the picker everywhere.

Does Slash work in my browser?

Yes. Slash works in text fields on websites, in any browser on your Mac. In Chrome-based browsers the picker opens just above or below the text field, at its left edge, because those browsers do not report the exact cursor position.

Which permission does Slash need, and why?

One: Accessibility, in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility. macOS requires it for any app that reacts to keys typed in other apps and types text into them. Slash asks on first start and begins working as soon as the switch is on. No restart is needed.

What data does Slash store or send?

Slash has no network code, so it sends nothing. On your Mac it stores only your favorites, how often you used each emoji, and your per-app // choices.

Which Macs can run Slash?

Slash needs macOS 13 or later. The current download is built for Macs with Apple silicon.

Can I turn Slash off for one app?

Yes. The Slash icon in the menu bar has a switch that turns the // trigger on or off for the app in front, and a Pause item that turns the picker off for a while.