diff --git a/src/client/index.tsx b/src/client/index.tsx
index 6439b94..41e8a67 100644
--- a/src/client/index.tsx
+++ b/src/client/index.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import { render as renderApp } from 'hono/jsx/dom'
 import { define, Styles } from 'forge'
 import type { App, AppState } from '../shared/types'
 import { theme } from './themes'
+import { Modal, initModal } from './tags/modal'
+import { openEmojiPicker } from './tags/emoji-picker'
 
 // UI state (survives re-renders)
 let selectedApp: string | null = localStorage.getItem('selectedApp')
@@ -335,11 +337,21 @@ const toggleSidebar = () => {
   render()
 }
 
+const OpenEmojiPicker = define('OpenEmojiPicker', {
+  cursor: 'pointer',
+
+  render({ props, parts: { Root } }) {
+    return <Root onClick={() => openEmojiPicker((emoji) => {
+      console.log('Selected:', emoji)
+    })}>{props.children}</Root>
+  }
+})
+
 const AppDetail = ({ app }: { app: App }) => (
   <>
     <MainHeader>
       <MainTitle>
-        {app.icon ?? <StatusDot state={app.state} />}
+        <OpenEmojiPicker>{app.icon ?? <StatusDot state={app.state} />}</OpenEmojiPicker>
         &nbsp;
         {app.name}
       </MainTitle>
@@ -481,6 +493,7 @@ const Dashboard = () => {
           <EmptyState>Select an app to view details</EmptyState>
         )}
       </Main>
+      <Modal />
     </Layout>
   )
 }
@@ -489,6 +502,9 @@ const render = () => {
   renderApp(<Dashboard />, document.getElementById('app')!)
 }
 
+// Initialize modal with render function
+initModal(render)
+
 // Set theme based on system preference
 const setTheme = () => {
   const prefersDark = window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches
diff --git a/src/client/tags/emoji-picker.tsx b/src/client/tags/emoji-picker.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06d34bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client/tags/emoji-picker.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+import { define } from 'forge'
+import { theme } from '../themes'
+import { openModal, closeModal, rerenderModal } from './modal'
+
+type Category = 'People' | 'Gestures' | 'Animals' | 'Food' | 'Activities' | 'Travel' | 'Objects' | 'Symbols' | 'Nature'
+
+const CATEGORY_ICONS: Record<Category, string> = {
+  'People': '😀',
+  'Gestures': '👋',
+  'Animals': '🐶',
+  'Food': '🍎',
+  'Activities': '⚽',
+  'Travel': '🚗',
+  'Objects': '💡',
+  'Symbols': '❤️',
+  'Nature': '🌸',
+}
+
+const EMOJI_CATEGORIES: Record<Category, string[]> = {
+  'People': ['😀', '😃', '😄', '😁', '😆', '😅', '🤣', '😂', '🙂', '🙃', '😉', '😊', '😇', '🥰', '😍', '🤩', '😘', '😗', '😚', '😙', '🥲', '😋', '😛', '😜', '🤪', '😝', '🤑', '🤗', '🤭', '🤫', '🤔', '🤐', '🤨', '😐', '😑', '😶', '😏', '😒', '🙄', '😬', '🤥', '😌', '😔', '😪', '🤤', '😴', '😷', '🤒', '🤕', '🤢', '🤮', '🤧', '🥵', '🥶', '🥴', '😵', '🤯', '🤠', '🥳', '🥸', '😎', '🤓', '🧐', '😕', '😟', '🙁', '😮', '😯', '😲', '😳', '🥺', '😦', '😧', '😨', '😰', '😥', '😢', '😭', '😱', '😖', '😣', '😞', '😓', '😩', '😫', '🥱', '😤', '😡', '😠', '🤬', '😈', '👿', '💀', '☠️', '💩', '🤡', '👹', '👺', '👻', '👽', '👾', '🤖'],
+  'Gestures': ['👋', '🤚', '🖐️', '✋', '🖖', '👌', '🤌', '🤏', '✌️', '🤞', '🤟', '🤘', '🤙', '👈', '👉', '👆', '🖕', '👇', '☝️', '👍', '👎', '✊', '👊', '🤛', '🤜', '👏', '🙌', '👐', '🤲', '🤝', '🙏', '✍️', '💅', '🤳', '💪', '🦾', '🦿', '🦵', '🦶', '👂', '🦻', '👃', '🧠', '🫀', '🫁', '🦷', '🦴', '👀', '👁️', '👅', '👄'],
+  'Animals': ['🐶', '🐱', '🐭', '🐹', '🐰', '🦊', '🐻', '🐼', '🐻‍❄️', '🐨', '🐯', '🦁', '🐮', '🐷', '🐸', '🐵', '🙈', '🙉', '🙊', '🐒', '🐔', '🐧', '🐦', '🐤', '🐣', '🐥', '🦆', '🦅', '🦉', '🦇', '🐺', '🐗', '🐴', '🦄', '🐝', '🪱', '🐛', '🦋', '🐌', '🐞', '🐜', '🪰', '🪲', '🪳', '🦟', '🦗', '🕷️', '🦂', '🐢', '🐍', '🦎', '🦖', '🦕', '🐙', '🦑', '🦐', '🦞', '🦀', '🐡', '🐠', '🐟', '🐬', '🐳', '🐋', '🦈', '🐊', '🐅', '🐆', '🦓', '🦍', '🦧', '🦣', '🐘', '🦛', '🦏', '🐪', '🐫', '🦒', '🦘', '🦬', '🐃', '🐂', '🐄', '🐎', '🐖', '🐏', '🐑', '🦙', '🐐', '🦌', '🐕', '🐩', '🦮', '🐕‍🦺', '🐈', '🐈‍⬛', '🪶', '🐓', '🦃', '🦤', '🦚', '🦜', '🦢', '🦩', '🕊️', '🐇', '🦝', '🦨', '🦡', '🦫', '🦦', '🦥', '🐁', '🐀', '🐿️', '🦔'],
+  'Food': ['🍎', '🍐', '🍊', '🍋', '🍌', '🍉', '🍇', '🍓', '🫐', '🍈', '🍒', '🍑', '🥭', '🍍', '🥥', '🥝', '🍅', '🍆', '🥑', '🥦', '🥬', '🥒', '🌶️', '🫑', '🌽', '🥕', '🫒', '🧄', '🧅', '🥔', '🍠', '🥐', '🥯', '🍞', '🥖', '🥨', '🧀', '🥚', '🍳', '🧈', '🥞', '🧇', '🥓', '🥩', '🍗', '🍖', '🦴', '🌭', '🍔', '🍟', '🍕', '🫓', '🥪', '🥙', '🧆', '🌮', '🌯', '🫔', '🥗', '🥘', '🫕', '🥫', '🍝', '🍜', '🍲', '🍛', '🍣', '🍱', '🥟', '🦪', '🍤', '🍙', '🍚', '🍘', '🍥', '🥠', '🥮', '🍢', '🍡', '🍧', '🍨', '🍦', '🥧', '🧁', '🍰', '🎂', '🍮', '🍭', '🍬', '🍫', '🍿', '🍩', '🍪', '🌰', '🥜', '🍯', '🥛', '🍼', '🫖', '☕', '🍵', '🧃', '🥤', '🧋', '🍶', '🍺', '🍻', '🥂', '🍷', '🥃', '🍸', '🍹', '🧉', '🍾', '🧊'],
+  'Activities': ['⚽', '🏀', '🏈', '⚾', '🥎', '🎾', '🏐', '🏉', '🥏', '🎱', '🪀', '🏓', '🏸', '🏒', '🏑', '🥍', '🏏', '🪃', '🥅', '⛳', '🪁', '🏹', '🎣', '🤿', '🥊', '🥋', '🎽', '🛹', '🛼', '🛷', '⛸️', '🥌', '🎿', '⛷️', '🏂', '🪂', '🏋️', '🤼', '🤸', '⛹️', '🤺', '🤾', '🏌️', '🏇', '🧘', '🏄', '🏊', '🤽', '🚣', '🧗', '🚵', '🚴', '🏆', '🥇', '🥈', '🥉', '🏅', '🎖️', '🏵️', '🎗️', '🎫', '🎟️', '🎪', '🎭', '🎨', '🎬', '🎤', '🎧', '🎼', '🎹', '🥁', '🪘', '🎷', '🎺', '🪗', '🎸', '🪕', '🎻', '🎲', '♟️', '🎯', '🎳', '🎮', '🎰', '🧩'],
+  'Travel': ['🚗', '🚕', '🚙', '🚌', '🚎', '🏎️', '🚓', '🚑', '🚒', '🚐', '🛻', '🚚', '🚛', '🚜', '🦯', '🦽', '🦼', '🛴', '🚲', '🛵', '🏍️', '🛺', '🚨', '🚔', '🚍', '🚘', '🚖', '🚡', '🚠', '🚟', '🚃', '🚋', '🚞', '🚝', '🚄', '🚅', '🚈', '🚂', '🚆', '🚇', '🚊', '🚉', '✈️', '🛫', '🛬', '🛩️', '💺', '🛰️', '🚀', '🛸', '🚁', '🛶', '⛵', '🚤', '🛥️', '🛳️', '⛴️', '🚢', '⚓', '🪝', '⛽', '🚧', '🚦', '🚥', '🚏', '🗺️', '🗿', '🗽', '🗼', '🏰', '🏯', '🏟️', '🎡', '🎢', '🎠', '⛲', '⛱️', '🏖️', '🏝️', '🏜️', '🌋', '⛰️', '🏔️', '🗻', '🏕️', '⛺', '🛖', '🏠', '🏡', '🏘️', '🏚️', '🏗️', '🏭', '🏢', '🏬', '🏣', '🏤', '🏥', '🏦', '🏨', '🏪', '🏫', '🏩', '💒', '🏛️', '⛪', '🕌', '🕍', '🛕', '🕋', '⛩️'],
+  'Objects': ['⌚', '📱', '📲', '💻', '⌨️', '🖥️', '🖨️', '🖱️', '🖲️', '🕹️', '🗜️', '💽', '💾', '💿', '📀', '📼', '📷', '📸', '📹', '🎥', '📽️', '🎞️', '📞', '☎️', '📟', '📠', '📺', '📻', '🎙️', '🎚️', '🎛️', '🧭', '⏱️', '⏲️', '⏰', '🕰️', '⌛', '⏳', '📡', '🔋', '🔌', '💡', '🔦', '🕯️', '🪔', '🧯', '🛢️', '💸', '💵', '💴', '💶', '💷', '🪙', '💰', '💳', '💎', '⚖️', '🪜', '🧰', '🪛', '🔧', '🔨', '⚒️', '🛠️', '⛏️', '🪚', '🔩', '⚙️', '🪤', '🧱', '⛓️', '🧲', '🔫', '💣', '🧨', '🪓', '🔪', '🗡️', '⚔️', '🛡️', '🚬', '⚰️', '🪦', '⚱️', '🏺', '🔮', '📿', '🧿', '💈', '⚗️', '🔭', '🔬', '🕳️', '🩹', '🩺', '💊', '💉', '🩸', '🧬', '🦠', '🧫', '🧪'],
+  'Symbols': ['❤️', '🧡', '💛', '💚', '💙', '💜', '🖤', '🤍', '🤎', '💔', '❣️', '💕', '💞', '💓', '💗', '💖', '💘', '💝', '💟', '☮️', '✝️', '☪️', '🕉️', '☸️', '✡️', '🔯', '🕎', '☯️', '☦️', '🛐', '⛎', '♈', '♉', '♊', '♋', '♌', '♍', '♎', '♏', '♐', '♑', '♒', '♓', '🆔', '⚛️', '🉑', '☢️', '☣️', '📴', '📳', '🈶', '🈚', '🈸', '🈺', '🈷️', '✴️', '🆚', '💮', '🉐', '㊙️', '㊗️', '🈴', '🈵', '🈹', '🈲', '🅰️', '🅱️', '🆎', '🆑', '🅾️', '🆘', '❌', '⭕', '🛑', '⛔', '📛', '🚫', '💯', '💢', '♨️', '🚷', '🚯', '🚳', '🚱', '🔞', '📵', '🚭', '❗', '❕', '❓', '❔', '‼️', '⁉️', '🔅', '🔆', '〽️', '⚠️', '🚸', '🔱', '⚜️', '🔰', '♻️', '✅', '🈯', '💹', '❇️', '✳️', '❎', '🌐', '💠', 'Ⓜ️', '🌀', '💤', '🏧', '🚾', '♿', '🅿️', '🛗', '🈳', '🈂️', '🛂', '🛃', '🛄', '🛅', '🚹', '🚺', '🚼', '⚧️', '🚻', '🚮', '🎦', '📶', '🈁', '🔣', 'ℹ️', '🔤', '🔡', '🔠', '🆖', '🆗', '🆙', '🆒', '🆕', '🆓', '0️⃣', '1️⃣', '2️⃣', '3️⃣', '4️⃣', '5️⃣', '6️⃣', '7️⃣', '8️⃣', '9️⃣', '🔟', '🔢', '#️⃣', '*️⃣', '⏏️', '▶️', '⏸️', '⏯️', '⏹️', '⏺️', '⏭️', '⏮️', '⏩', '⏪', '⏫', '⏬', '◀️', '🔼', '🔽', '➡️', '⬅️', '⬆️', '⬇️', '↗️', '↘️', '↙️', '↖️', '↕️', '↔️', '↪️', '↩️', '⤴️', '⤵️', '🔀', '🔁', '🔂', '🔄', '🔃', '🎵', '🎶', '➕', '➖', '➗', '✖️', '♾️', '💲', '💱', '™️', '©️', '®️', '〰️', '➰', '➿', '🔚', '🔙', '🔛', '🔝', '🔜', '✔️', '☑️', '🔘', '🔴', '🟠', '🟡', '🟢', '🔵', '🟣', '⚫', '⚪', '🟤', '🔺', '🔻', '🔸', '🔹', '🔶', '🔷', '🔳', '🔲', '▪️', '▫️', '◾', '◽', '◼️', '◻️', '🟥', '🟧', '🟨', '🟩', '🟦', '🟪', '⬛', '⬜', '🟫', '🔈', '🔇', '🔉', '🔊', '🔔', '🔕', '📣', '📢', '👁️‍🗨️', '💬', '💭', '🗯️', '♠️', '♣️', '♥️', '♦️', '🃏', '🎴', '🀄', '🕐', '🕑', '🕒', '🕓', '🕔', '🕕', '🕖', '🕗', '🕘', '🕙', '🕚', '🕛', '🕜', '🕝', '🕞', '🕟', '🕠', '🕡', '🕢', '🕣', '🕤', '🕥', '🕦', '🕧'],
+  'Nature': ['🌸', '💮', '🏵️', '🌹', '🥀', '🌺', '🌻', '🌼', '🌷', '🌱', '🪴', '🌲', '🌳', '🌴', '🌵', '🌾', '🌿', '☘️', '🍀', '🍁', '🍂', '🍃', '🍄', '🌰', '🦀', '🦞', '🦐', '🦑', '🌍', '🌎', '🌏', '🌐', '🪨', '🌑', '🌒', '🌓', '🌔', '🌕', '🌖', '🌗', '🌘', '🌙', '🌚', '🌛', '🌜', '☀️', '🌝', '🌞', '🪐', '⭐', '🌟', '🌠', '🌌', '☁️', '⛅', '⛈️', '🌤️', '🌥️', '🌦️', '🌧️', '🌨️', '🌩️', '🌪️', '🌫️', '🌬️', '🌀', '🌈', '🌂', '☂️', '☔', '⛱️', '⚡', '❄️', '☃️', '⛄', '☄️', '🔥', '💧', '🌊'],
+}
+
+let selectedCategory: Category = 'People'
+let onSelectCallback: ((emoji: string) => void) | null = null
+
+const Container = define('EmojiPickerContainer', {
+  display: 'flex',
+  flexDirection: 'column',
+  gap: 12,
+})
+
+const EmojiGrid = define('EmojiGrid', {
+  display: 'grid',
+  gridTemplateColumns: 'repeat(10, 1fr)',
+  gap: 4,
+  overflow: 'auto',
+  alignContent: 'start',
+  height: 280,
+})
+
+const TabBar = define('EmojiTabBar', {
+  display: 'flex',
+  justifyContent: 'center',
+  gap: 4,
+  paddingTop: 12,
+  borderTop: `1px solid ${theme('colors-border')}`,
+  marginTop: 'auto',
+})
+
+const TabButton = define('EmojiTabButton', {
+  base: 'button',
+  padding: '8px 10px',
+  background: 'none',
+  border: 'none',
+  borderRadius: theme('radius-md'),
+  cursor: 'pointer',
+  fontSize: 18,
+  lineHeight: 1,
+  opacity: 0.5,
+  selectors: {
+    '&:hover': { opacity: 0.8, background: theme('colors-bgHover') },
+  },
+  variants: {
+    active: { opacity: 1, background: theme('colors-bgSelected') },
+  },
+})
+
+const EmojiButton = define('EmojiButton', {
+  base: 'button',
+  padding: 6,
+  background: 'none',
+  border: 'none',
+  borderRadius: theme('radius-md'),
+  cursor: 'pointer',
+  fontSize: 22,
+  lineHeight: 1,
+  selectors: {
+    '&:hover': { background: theme('colors-bgHover') },
+  },
+})
+
+const getEmojis = (): string[] => {
+  return EMOJI_CATEGORIES[selectedCategory]
+}
+
+const selectCategory = (category: Category) => {
+  selectedCategory = category
+  rerenderModal()
+}
+
+const handleSelect = (emoji: string) => {
+  onSelectCallback?.(emoji)
+  closeModal()
+}
+
+const CATEGORIES: Category[] = ['People', 'Gestures', 'Animals', 'Food', 'Activities', 'Travel', 'Objects', 'Symbols', 'Nature']
+
+const EmojiPickerContent = define('EmojiPickerContent', {
+  render() {
+    const emojis = getEmojis()
+
+    return (
+      <Container>
+        <EmojiGrid>
+          {emojis.map((emoji, i) => (
+            <EmojiButton key={i} onClick={() => handleSelect(emoji)}>
+              {emoji}
+            </EmojiButton>
+          ))}
+        </EmojiGrid>
+
+        <TabBar>
+          {CATEGORIES.map(cat => (
+            <TabButton
+              key={cat}
+              active={cat === selectedCategory ? true : undefined}
+              onClick={() => selectCategory(cat)}
+              title={cat}
+            >
+              {CATEGORY_ICONS[cat]}
+            </TabButton>
+          ))}
+        </TabBar>
+      </Container>
+    )
+  }
+})
+
+export const openEmojiPicker = (onSelect: (emoji: string) => void) => {
+  selectedCategory = 'People'
+  onSelectCallback = onSelect
+  openModal('Choose Emoji', () => <EmojiPickerContent />)
+}
diff --git a/src/client/tags/modal.tsx b/src/client/tags/modal.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d709e09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client/tags/modal.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import type { Child } from 'hono/jsx'
+import { define } from 'forge'
+import { theme } from '../themes'
+
+let modalTitle: string | null = null
+let modalContent: (() => Child) | null = null
+let renderFn: (() => void) | null = null
+
+export const initModal = (render: () => void) => {
+  renderFn = render
+}
+
+export const openModal = (title: string, content: () => Child) => {
+  modalTitle = title
+  modalContent = content
+  renderFn?.()
+}
+
+export const closeModal = () => {
+  modalTitle = null
+  modalContent = null
+  renderFn?.()
+}
+
+export const rerenderModal = () => {
+  renderFn?.()
+}
+
+// ESC key handler
+document.addEventListener('keydown', (e) => {
+  if (e.key === 'Escape' && modalContent) {
+    closeModal()
+  }
+})
+
+const ModalBackdrop = define('ModalBackdrop', {
+  position: 'fixed',
+  inset: 0,
+  background: 'rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5)',
+  display: 'flex',
+  alignItems: 'center',
+  justifyContent: 'center',
+  zIndex: 1000,
+})
+
+const ModalBox = define('ModalBox', {
+  background: theme('colors-bg'),
+  borderRadius: theme('radius-md'),
+  border: `1px solid ${theme('colors-border')}`,
+  boxShadow: '0 4px 24px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2)',
+  maxWidth: 500,
+  width: '90%',
+  maxHeight: '80vh',
+  overflow: 'auto',
+})
+
+const ModalHeader = define('ModalHeader', {
+  display: 'flex',
+  alignItems: 'center',
+  justifyContent: 'space-between',
+  padding: '16px 20px',
+  borderBottom: `1px solid ${theme('colors-border')}`,
+})
+
+const ModalTitle = define('ModalTitle', {
+  fontSize: 16,
+  fontWeight: 600,
+  margin: 0,
+})
+
+const ModalCloseButton = define('ModalCloseButton', {
+  base: 'button',
+  background: 'none',
+  border: 'none',
+  cursor: 'pointer',
+  padding: 4,
+  fontSize: 18,
+  color: theme('colors-textMuted'),
+  lineHeight: 1,
+  selectors: {
+    '&:hover': { color: theme('colors-text') },
+  },
+})
+
+const ModalBody = define('ModalBody', {
+  padding: 20,
+})
+
+export const Modal = () => {
+  if (!modalContent) return null
+
+  return (
+    <ModalBackdrop onClick={closeModal}>
+      <ModalBox onClick={(e: MouseEvent) => e.stopPropagation()}>
+        <ModalHeader>
+          <ModalTitle>{modalTitle}</ModalTitle>
+          <ModalCloseButton onClick={closeModal}>×</ModalCloseButton>
+        </ModalHeader>
+        <ModalBody>
+          {modalContent()}
+        </ModalBody>
+      </ModalBox>
+    </ModalBackdrop>
+  )
+}