Emojis not working in touch bar after update

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Level 1

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Emojis not working in touch bar after update

Ever since I updated my MacBook Pro to macOS Monterey, the emojis stopped showing up after pressing the emoji icon on my Touch Bar. The touch bar goes black when I do so, and there is still an X button where it's supposed to be, but even when I click on it it's not responding; basically the Touch Bar freezes when I try to use the emoji option. Other than that the Touch Bar is fine though. The Touch Bar is actually the main reason why I got a MBP over a MBA so that matter really disappoints me, and the touch bar addition was more expensive as well. I heavily rely on the emoji feature on it and that is the exact feature that is buggy now. Apple has put no fix in place for over a year now and it it very frustrating.

Does anybody have any ideas on how to fix that issue?

MacBook Pro (2021)

Posted on Mar 7, 2023 09:23 AM

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Answer 1

Omar_A1

Community Specialist

Mar 8, 2023 12:31 PM in response to devalshah9

Hello devalshah9,

Thank you for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.

Let's test to see if the same thing happens in safe mode to further isolate the issue:

"Start up your Mac with Apple silicon in safe mode

On your Mac, choose Apple menu > Shut Down.
Wait for your Mac to shut down completely. A Mac is completely shut down when the screen is black and any lights (including in the Touch Bar) are off.
Press and hold the power button on your Mac until “Loading startup options” appears.
Select a volume.
Press and hold the Shift key, then click Continue in Safe Mode.
The computer restarts automatically. When the login window appears, you should see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar.

Start up your Intel-based Mac in safe mode

Turn on or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key until you see the login window.
Log in to your Mac.
You might be asked to log in again.
On either the first or second login window, you should see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar."

More details can be found here: Start up your Mac in safe mode

If the issue persists, can you provide a few more details? When did you first notice this? Which macOS version are you currently using? Do you notice any issues with the Touch Bar in multiple apps or only in one specific app?

Cheers!

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Answer 2

SnickZ.

Community Specialist

Mar 8, 2023 12:49 PM in response to devalshah9

Hello devalshah9,

How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support -- According to the information in the safe mode article, the next steps would be is to reinstall macOS.

If the issue continues in safe mode

If the issue continues while in safe mode, or your Mac restarts several times and then shuts down while starting up in safe mode, you should reinstall macOS and make sure that your Apple software and third-party apps are up to date.

Before you begin, please be sure to have a recent backup: Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support

Also, to make it easier, here the article on how to back up your Mac: How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

Feel free to get back to us with any questions or problems you may have.

All the best.

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Answer 3

devalshah9 Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 8, 2023 12:38 PM in response to Omar_A1

Yes I tried that and the issue still persists. There are also other threads on this so its a widespread issue. A bug fix needs to be implemented ASAP as its affecting my and others' daily usage and is extremely annoying. The only way to fix it is to quit out of the app and reopen it, but then the issue comes back after a few hours. I first noticed it after updating to Monterey - it happens on both my Macs so i know its an OS upgrade bug. I am on Ventura now on both Macs and it is still not fixed. The issue is in multiple apps which i use for messaging - for example Messages, Whatsapp, Microsoft Teams, etc.

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Emojis not working in touch bar after update

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