Mojito

Type to search for any emoji or symbol in seconds

GitHubMenu Bar AppsEmojiOpen Source

▲ 136 votes14 commentsLaunched May 27, 2026

Daily #22Weekly #22

Autocomplete :emoji: everywhere on macOS. Type a colon and search any emoji, symbol, or shortcode in seconds — in TextEdit, iMessage, Terminal, anywhere. Slack and a few other apps have this — type :heart: and you get ❤️. It makes finding emoji easy. I wanted it everywhere on my Mac, so I built Mojito. It works just like you'd expect, and it's smart enough to ignore apps and sites that already support it. And it's free, open-source donationware.

AI Analysis

📝 Summary

Mojito is a free, open-source donationware macOS menu bar app that brings system-wide autocomplete for emojis, symbols, and shortcodes. Users simply type a colon (:) anywhere (TextEdit, iMessage, Terminal, etc.) to search and insert items instantly. It intelligently bypasses apps like Slack that already support this feature natively. It solves the pain of slow manual emoji hunting or recalling obscure Unicode symbols, delivering fast, universal access across all apps. The value proposition is a lightweight, no-cost utility that enhances everyday digital expression and productivity on Mac without subscriptions or bloat.

📈 Market Timing

In 2025-2026, emoji and symbol usage remains high due to persistent remote work, messaging, content creation, and AI tools that benefit from quick symbol insertion. macOS ecosystem is mature with strong demand for menu bar utilities. However, core OS features and existing solutions reduce urgency. Economic environment supports indie open-source tools. Moderate Timing.

✅ Feasibility

Technical difficulty is low-moderate using standard macOS input monitoring and accessibility APIs; the product is already built and open-sourced on GitHub. Development and operation costs are minimal for a solo/indie project with no servers needed. No supply chain or major compliance risks. Excellent scalability as a simple client app. Overall High feasibility with strong team fit for open-source developers.

🎯 Target Market

Main segments: macOS power users, developers, designers, writers, and heavy messengers (ages 25-45), primarily in tech and creative industries. Geographic focus: Global with high adoption in US, Europe, and Asia. TAM for macOS utilities approx. 50-100M users; SAM for emoji tools ~5-10M; SOM ~200K-500K potential users. Core pain: inefficient emoji/symbol discovery in non-native apps. Willingness to pay: moderate via donations ($5-20 one-time), as users value free core experience.

⚔️ Competition

Medium. Direct competitors: 1. Rocket (matthewpalmer.net/rocket) - popular paid macOS emoji tool; 2. macOS built-in Emoji & Symbols picker; 3. Open-source alternatives like emoji-finder on GitHub; 4. Alfred Powerpack emoji workflows (alfredapp.com); 5. SymbolPicker (github.com/zackradisic/symbol-picker). Advantages: completely free/open-source, donationware model, smart app-ignoring logic. Disadvantages: lacks premium polish, advanced customization, or dedicated support that paid competitors offer; limited marketing reach.

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