Slack offers several features that make communication easy and fun for the team. One fun part of using Slack is its deep integration of emojis. You can send emojis in chats to convey the tone of your message. You can also use emoji reactions to express yourself without typing a word. Emojis are fun and improve your team's communication. That's why, apart from its built-in emoji library, Slack allows users to install custom emoji packs and create custom emojis.

With custom emojis, you'll create emojis to personalize communication within your team. After you add custom emojis, your team members can use them. Whether your team members use iPhones or an inexpensive Android phone, they can access custom emojis to spice up the conversation. Here's how to create a custom emoji in Slack.

Spice up team conversation with custom Slack emojis

There are two types of custom emojis you can add to Slack. You can upload your personalized emojis or use custom emoji packs built for Slack. Custom emoji packs are great for users who don't want to create their own emojis.

We cover both types of custom emojis in this guide. We show you how to upload custom emojis and add custom emoji packs. We also cover how to use custom emojis in Slack and remove them when they are no longer needed.

How to upload your custom emojis to Slack

Slack recommends following a few guidelines for custom emojis to get the best results. The custom emojis you upload should be square images with transparent backgrounds. Also, keep the file size under 128 KB. As for the file format, you can use images in JPG, PNG, and GIF formats.

While you can upload custom emojis from your iPhone, the Slack Android app doesn't have this feature. When you add a custom emoji, you can use it on your Android device.

  1. Launch the Slack app on your computer and click the smiley face icon to open the emoji picker at the bottom of the chatbox.
    A screenshot of a Slack conversation, featuring an arrow pointing towards the emoji icon located at the bottom of the chatbox.
  2. Click the Add Emoji button in the lower-left corner of the emoji picker.
    A pop-up window displaying a variety of emojis, with the 'add emoji' button highlighted at the bottom left of the window.
  3. Click the Upload Image button to open the file picker.
    A pop-up window designed for adding an emoji, featuring detailed information on creating custom emojis. Inside the window, there is an arrow pointing towards the 'upload image' button. Below this button, there's a text box provided for naming the new custom emoji.
  4. Navigate to your custom emoji and upload it to Slack.
    A file finder window from the Mac ecosystem, displaying a variety of files. Among these, a red crown GIF is highlighted, indicating it has been selected for uploading as a custom emoji.
  5. In the Give it a name section, enter a name for your emoji. Follow the proper emoji naming guidelines by placing it inside two colons (:name:). Click the Save button to save the changes.
    A pop-up window for adding an emoji, featuring information on custom emojis. An arrow points towards the text box filled with the name 'redcrown', indicating the name for the new custom emoji.
  6. If everything goes right, Slack tells you that your emoji has been added and is ready to use.
    A notification pop-up indicating that the custom emoji has been successfully added and is now ready for use.

Where to find awesome Slack emojis

If you're looking for inspiration or premade custom emojis, visit Slackmojis, the unofficial directory of the best custom Slack emojis. You'll find popular custom emojis, including Among Us, Dancing Bananas, Game of Thrones, and Party Parrot. You can also perform a Google Search for custom emojis and find several results.

Slackmojis Home page screenshot

How to add custom emoji packs in Slack

Slack lets you add custom emoji packs. Here's how to add them to your Slack workspace.

  1. Launch Slack and open the Emoji Picker.
    A screenshot of a Slack conversation, featuring an arrow pointing towards the emoji icon located at the bottom of the chatbox.
  2. Click the Add Emoji button.
    A pop-up window displaying a variety of emojis, with the 'add emoji' button highlighted at the bottom left of the window.
  3. Select the Emoji Packs option and choose the emoji pack you want to add.
    A screenshot of Slack's 'Add Emoji' window, with the emoji pack tab highlighted in red to emphasize its importance or selection.
  4. Click the Add pack button to add the pack to your Slack workspace.
    "A window displaying a collection of various emojis, with an 'Add Pack' button prominently highlighted.

How to use your new custom Slack emojis

Now that you've added custom emojis to Slack, here's how to access them.

  1. To access all the custom emojis you added to Slack, click the Slack icon in the emoji picker.
    A visual representation of a chat box with an arrow pointed towards the Emoji button at the bottom, labeled as '1'. Additionally, the Slack icon at the top right of the popup window is selected and marked with the number '2', indicating a sequential order.
  2. Use the search field to search for the custom emoji you added by name.
    An image showing a popup window with a search icon in the top left corner. An arrow is pointed towards this icon. In the search box, the word 'redcrown' is typed, indicating a search for a specific emoji.
  3. To see your custom emoji packs, go to the emoji search tab and scroll to the bottom. You'll see a list of your emoji packs and custom emojis.
    An emoji selection box featuring various emoji packs, with the 'Remote Work' emoji pack distinctly highlighted in red.
  4. You can also use the custom emoji and emoji packs to react to messages in Slack.
  5. To use custom emojis on iPhone or Android, tap the emoji button and search for the emoji or scroll down to see your custom emojis.
    A screenshot of Slack on an iOS device, featuring an arrow pointed towards the emoji icon for easy identification.
    A screenshot displaying a search box located at the top of the page, with the word 'Red' entered into the search field.
    A screenshot demonstrating how to access custom emojis in the Slack mobile app, showcasing relevant buttons and menus.

How to remove or delete emojis you no longer want

If too many emojis clutter your view, remove the custom emoji and emoji packs your team is not using actively.

  1. Launch the Slack app on your computer and click your workspace name.
    "A screenshot of the Slack home page, prominently displaying the name of a workspace at the top highlighted in red..
  2. Go to Settings & Administrations > Customize Workspace. It opens in a browser window.
    A screenshot showing a window with two tabs: 'Settings & Administration' and 'Customize Workspace', both highlighted in red to emphasize their importance.
  3. Under the Emoji tab, click the cross button next to the emoji you want to remove.
    An image showing an arrow pointing towards the close button, located at the bottom of the emoji tab.
  4. Click the Delete emoji button to remove the emoji.
    A pop-up window displayed for deleting a custom emoji, with an arrow pointed towards the 'Delete Emoji' button.

Delete custom emoji packs

While the above method removes individual custom emojis, follow the steps below to delete a custom emoji pack.

  1. Launch Slack and click the emoji icon.
    A screenshot of a Slack conversation, featuring an arrow pointing towards the emoji icon located at the bottom of the chatbox.
  2. Click the Add Emoji button.
    A pop-up window displaying a variety of emojis, with the 'add emoji' button highlighted at the bottom left of the window.
  3. Choose the Emoji packs option and click the emoji pack you want to remove.
    An image showing emoji packs in Slack, with the packs being highlighted in red for emphasis or selection.
  4. Click the Remove pack button to remove the emoji pack from your Slack workspace.
    pop-up window displaying custom emojis, with the 'Remove Pack' option prominently highlighted in red.

Slack is great for messaging, but emails are better for non-essential business

Slack is a fun virtual hangout place for team members, allowing them to forgo the formality of emails, resulting in a better team bonding experience. But you'll still rely on emails for outgoing communications outside your company. To make emails fun and productive, we recommend using one of the best email apps for Android.