Emojis are a fun and engaging way to communicate that have exploded in popularity over recent years. Understanding how to incorporate these expressive icons into your Slack messages can help elevate your communication game.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know to become a Slack emoji master, from what they are to the insider tips for using them.
What Are Emojis and Why Use Them?
Before we dive into using emojis, let’s cover the basics…
Emojis (also known as emoticons) are small digital images or icons used to express ideas or emotions in electronic communications. From smiley faces to symbols and objects, there are thousands to choose from.
Emojis originate from emotive characters used in Japanese mobile phones in the late 1990s. Since then, they have exploded into the mainstream through instant messaging, social media, and workplace communication tools like Slack.
So why add these cute little symbols to your professional Slack messages? Here are 5 great benefits:
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Improve engagement: Emojis make messages more fun and expressive, helping teams stay switched on.
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Enhance understanding: They quickly communicate reactions, ideas and context.
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Save time: Visually replace long-winded text explanations.
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Ease tension: Lighten the mood and take the edge off difficult situations.
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Build relationships: Humor and informal language can strengthen work connections.
Now let’s get into the different ways to access and use emojis in Slack.
Access Emojis in Slack
Slack has an emoji menu containing over 2,600 emoji icons. You have two main options for accessing and adding these symbols to your messages:
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Type emoji codes – Quickly bring up popular emojis using colon-based codes.
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Search the emoji menu – Visually browse and select icons from the complete catalog.
Let‘s explore both options in more detail…
Add Emojis Using Codes
Most common emojis have shorthand codes starting and ending with a colon. For example:
:slightly_smiling_face:becomes 🙂:smiley:becomes 😃:heart:becomes ❤️
Learning these codes for your most-used emojis can save a lot of time!
Here are the simple steps to add emojis this way:
Step 1: Type Your Message as Normal
There‘s no need to stop and add emojis as you go. Write out the text content of your message first:
Step 2: Add Emoji Codes Where Relevant
Go back through your message and insert any relevant emoji codes by typing the colons and code:
Codes can go at the start, middle or end. Insert multiple emoji codes if needed.
Step 3: Press Spacebar for Emojis to Appear
When ready, hit the spacebar after each code. The matching emoji icons will pop up automatically:
Then continue typing or send your message. Easy!
Tip: Learn 10-20 most used emoji codes to supercharge your messaging.
Search and Select Emojis from the Menu
If you want to browse the full emoji catalog, you can visually search for and select relevant icons.
Here‘s how:
Step 1: Click the Emoji Icon
Tap on the gray emoji face icon next to the message box:
This will open up the emoji menu.
Step 2: Browse or Search for Relevant Emojis
Scroll to browse different emoji categories or use the search bar to look up keywords e.g. "smile":
Relevant matches will pop up. Select your chosen emoji icon.
Step 3: The Emoji Will Appear in Your Message
The emoji will automatically appear in your message text for you:
You can keep typing or hit send.
Using the visual emoji menu makes it easy to find the perfect icons without having to remember all the codes.
Tips for Using Emojis Smoothly
- Learn emoji codes for 6-10 of your most-used icons
- Use emojis sparingly in long blocks of messages
- Be conscious of emoji size – keep them small amidst text
- Ensure emojis fit the tone of your workplace
- Stay up-to-date with the latest emoji releases
Now let‘s look at how emojis can also be used as reactions…
Reacting With Emojis
We‘ve covered adding stand-alone emojis to your own messages. But did you know you can also use emoji icons to react to other people‘s messages?
Reacting is perfect for group conversations where you want to respond without cluttering up the feed.
Here‘s how to do it:
Step 1: Click on Existing Reactions
If a message already has reactions beneath it, you can simply click to add your own:
This instantly shows you agree without typing a thing!
Step 2: Add a New Emoji Reaction
To add a reaction that isn‘t there already, click Add reaction then select your emoji from the menu:
You‘ve now shared your two cents in just a couple of clicks. Nice!
Uploading Custom Emojis
As well as standard emojis, you can also upload your own custom icons to Slack for everyone on your team to use.
This is great for adding a unique flair or reinforcing company values through images.
To add custom emojis:
Step 1: Create or Select an Image
Have a new emoji graphic ready or choose an existing picture. It must:
✅ Be under 128KB
✅ Be 128 x 128 pixels or less
✅ Be a PNG, JPG or GIF
Step 2: Access the Emoji Menu
Click the emoji face icon to open the menu then navigate to Frequently Used.
Step 3: Click Add Emoji
Select Add emoji then upload your image when prompted:
Step 4: Name the Emoji & Save
Give your emoji a descriptive name then click Save to make it available:
The custom graphic can now be accessed like any other emoji!
Wrap Up
We‘ve covered everything you need to start sprinkling emojis into your Slack messages with skill and confidence.
Key highlights:
✅ Use emoji codes for speedy typing
✅ Search and select from the emoji menu
✅ React to messages with appropriate icons
✅ Make custom emojis to bring your own flair
With emojis upping engagement and excitement across remote teams, now is the time to skill up and start adding them to your Slack messages!
Still hungry to boost your Slack skills? Check out my advanced guide to:
How to Create a Slack Bot for Better Team Management →
I hope you found this guide helpful. What tips would you add when using emojis on Slack? Let me know in the comments!
