INSERT gives Error Code: 1366. Incorrect string value: '\xF0\x9F\x98\x80' for column
The problem appears to be in the Client.

When the client connects to the MySQL server, it needs to announce that the bytes in the client are utf8mb4.  This can be done in several ways:


In the connection parameters (client-dependent).
SET NAMES utf8mb4.


\U+1F600 is the Unicode representation for that Emoji.
\xF0\x9F\x98\x80 is the equivalent Hex.
F09F9880 is the UTF-8 (utf8mb4) in Hex.

Avoid the Unicode representation.