What is Mojito?

Mojito is a free, open-source macOS utility that brings Slack-style emoji autocomplete to every text field on your Mac. Type a colon followed by a shortcode like :heart: or :tada:, and Mojito instantly surfaces matching emoji, symbols, and GIFs right next to your cursor — no separate window, no mouse clicks, no context switching.

Who it's for

• Power typists who want to insert emoji and symbols without lifting their hands from the keyboard
• macOS users frustrated by the built-in emoji picker who prefer inline autocomplete over a pop-up window
• Anyone who works across many apps and wants consistent emoji shortcode support in TextEdit, Terminal, Mail, Notion, browsers, and more

Key features

Universal inline autocomplete

Mojito works in any app where you can type — TextEdit, iMessage, Terminal, Mail, browsers, Notion, and countless others. It appears as you type, right next to your cursor, and you insert with arrow keys and Return. No window, no mouse, no interruption.

Smart app detection

Mojito automatically stays out of apps and websites that already support emoji shortcodes natively — Slack, Discord, Messages, GitHub, and others. You never get double-handling or duplicate suggestions.

GIF search and customization

Type ::: followed by a search term to grab a GIF from Giphy without leaving your current app. You can also customize default skin tone, enable symbol mode (:cmd: → ⌘, :star: → ★), pause Mojito for an hour or until tomorrow, and watch results re-rank based on how often you use them.

Localized in 19 languages

The interface is translated into 19 locales, and emoji shortcodes are localized in 14 of them — so :gato: works in Spanish, :chien: in French, and so on. Common emoticons like :) and <3 are recognized too.

What stands out

"Mojito just appears next to your cursor as you type — no window, no mouse, no context switch."

This is the core insight that sets Mojito apart from macOS's built-in emoji picker (⌃⌘Space), which opens a separate window you must click through. Mojito keeps you in flow: hit a colon, type a couple letters, arrow keys + Return, and you're done. It's also fully open source under AGPL-3.0, respects your privacy with no telemetry or analytics, and is genuinely free — no trial, no ads, no upsells.

Worth checking out if…

You type on a Mac and wish Slack's :tada: → 🎉 worked everywhere, not just inside Slack. Mojito is especially valuable if you write in multiple languages, frequently use symbols or GIFs, or simply want a faster, keyboard-driven way to insert emoji without breaking your typing rhythm.