Rocket provides Slack-style emoji insertion across all macOS applications. The app enables typing emoji by entering a colon followed by the emoji name, eliminating the need for the native Control+Command+Space picker. (Freemium, Pro $10)
The core mechanism uses colon-based shortcuts: typing :thumbsup: triggers an autocomplete menu showing matching emoji. The interface appears inline at the cursor position, supporting keyboard-driven selection without interrupting typing flow. All standard Unicode emoji are available, with adjustable skin tone preferences.
The free version includes complete emoji access with autocomplete functionality. Pro features add a searchable emoji browser, GIF support with 150 preloaded animations, custom emoji expansion shortcuts, text snippet expansion, and usage statistics tracking. Custom shortcuts enable creating personal abbreviations like :shrug: for ¯_(ツ)_/¯.
The app requires Accessibility permissions to function and uses AppleScript for browser integration features. Installation is available via direct download from the developer’s website.
System requirements: macOS Mojave or newer for full functionality. The developer notes that earlier versions may have reduced feature sets.
Limitations: Known conflicts exist with secure input applications including Keybase, LastPass, and Bitwarden. Virtual machines (Parallels, VirtualBox) are unsupported. External display configurations occasionally cause trigger detection issues. The license activates on two Macs maximum. macOS may periodically stop delivering keyboard messages to the app, requiring trigger key verification.
Alternatives: macOS native emoji picker (Control+Command+Space), Raycast emoji search, Alfred emoji workflows.
Suitable for users who frequently insert emoji in Slack-style workflows and prefer keyboard-driven input over visual pickers. Best for single-monitor setups without conflicting password managers.
