Microsoft 365 is bringing Clippy back as an emoji — but fans want him on Xbox, Windows 11, too

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By Kimberly Gedeon
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Clippy makes reappearance in Office as an emoji

Microsoft Teams
Clippy (Image credit: Microsoft)

Clippy, the controversial paperclip assistant that delighted (or irked) Office users in the late 90s, is making a nostalgic comeback in Microsoft 365, but it's not what you're thinking.

On Thursday, Microsoft tweeted an illustration of Clippy with the following caption: "If this gets 20k likes, we’ll replace the paperclip emoji in Microsoft 365 with Clippy." In under an hour, the tweet amassed nearly 23,000 hearts. It looks like that dull paperclip emoji is getting the boot in favor of a more famous piece of steel wire: good ol' Clippy.

Fans beg Microsoft to bring Clippy to Xbox, Windows 11

Microsoft successfully reached its "likes" goal, but Clippy fans are demanding more. One Twitter user beseeched Microsoft to bring Clippy to the Series X and Series S. Another poster wondered when they'll get to see Clippy as the star of a new platformer on Xbox Game Pass.

Twitter user @Manu962k, on the other hand, hopes that Microsoft considers bringing Clippy to the next-generation OS Windows 11.

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While the response to Microsoft's plans to replace the paperclip emoji with Clippy is mostly positive, a few Twitter commenters expressed disgust.

"I'm suing for PTSD if I have to see Clippy," @nat_fitz1 tweeted. "Not sure if that's a threat or a good thing," @AeonixAeon said about Microsoft's decision to resurrect Clippy.

Whether we like or not, Microsoft is tapping into nostalgic marketing tactics to catch our attention. Last week, the Redmond-based tech giant that it was adding new backgrounds to Microsoft Teams, and you guessed it, Clippy was one of the themes.

Microsoft also added a Paint-themed background, a Solitaire design and more.

Microsoft Teams Paint

Microsoft Teams Paint background (Image credit: Microsoft)

With all of this positive critical reception of the OG office assistant, Clippy may end up being more than just an Microsoft 365 emoji addition.

Kimberly Gedeon
Kimberly Gedeon

Kimberly Gedeon, holding a Master's degree in International Journalism, launched her career as a journalist for MadameNoire's business beat in 2013. She loved translating stuffy stories about the economy, personal finance and investing into digestible, easy-to-understand, entertaining stories for young women of color. During her time on the business beat, she discovered her passion for tech as she dove into articles about tech entrepreneurship, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the latest tablets. After eight years of freelancing, dabbling in a myriad of beats, she's finally found a home at Laptop Mag that accepts her as the crypto-addicted, virtual reality-loving, investing-focused, tech-fascinated nerd she is. Woot!