Microsoft's symbol picker in Excel for Mac buries math symbols behind a wall of emoji. That is a design failure, and it wastes the time of anyone who works with data. The user who posted this frustration is not asking for much, they want a plus-minus sign, a standard mathematical character, without Googling and copy-pasting like it is 1998. The fact that the default insertion menu surfaces smiley faces before basic operators tells you everything about how legacy tools prioritize decoration over function.
The problem is not just the emoji. It is that the tool expects you to customize your way out of its bad defaults. The user asks, "Anyone know how to customize this list?" That question reveals the deeper issue: the burden of fixing the interface falls on the person doing the work. You should not need to hunt through settings or third-party guides just to insert a symbol that belongs in the first row of any math-capable tool. A spreadsheet should understand that its primary users work with numbers, equations, and data, not reaction gifs.
This is where an AI-native approach changes the equation. Instead of forcing you to browse a flat list of characters, a smart system should surface the symbol you need based on context. Type "plus-minus" or start a formula where that symbol fits, and the tool should offer it. No scrolling, no searching, no memorizing keyboard shortcuts for rare characters. The same logic applies to fractions, integrals, summation signs, and every other symbol that slows down a workflow today. The goal is not to build a bigger symbol library. It is to make the library invisible until you need it.
The practical takeaway is simple: if your spreadsheet software makes you fight for a basic character, it is not serving your work. You do not need to accept a tool that treats math symbols as an afterthought. The future of data management does not involve browsing emoji to find a plus-minus sign. It involves a system that understands what you are building and puts the right tool in your hand before you ask for it. The user who posted this deserves better. So do you.