How to Change the Emoji on Messenger (Phone and Computer)

Every Messenger chat comes with a little thumbs up that sits next to the text box, ready to send in one tap. You can swap it for something else, and that's what people mean when they ask how to change the Messenger emoji. It's a small tweak, but it makes a chat feel like yours, whether that's a family group, a team chat or a friendly thread with a regular customer. Here are the steps from Messenger's help pages, and one detail that surprises people.

Changing the Messenger emoji on Android

1. From Chats, open the conversation you want to change.
2. Tap Information in the top right.
3. Tap Quick reaction.
4. Choose the emoji you want.

The label you're looking for is Quick reaction. If you can't see it straight away, scroll the chat information screen, because menus vary by app version.

Changing the Messenger emoji on iPhone

The iPhone steps start in a slightly different place, because the chat information opens from the name at the top of the screen.

1. From Chats, open the conversation.
2. Tap the name at the top.
3. Tap Quick reaction.
4. Choose an emoji.

Changing the Messenger chat emoji on a computer

On messenger.com the help pages use different words, but you end up in the same place.

1. Open the chat.
2. Click Options in the top right to open the conversation information.
3. Click Customise chat, then click Change emoji.
4. Click to choose an emoji.

What changes when you swap the Messenger emoji

Messenger's help centre says the emoji you choose replaces the default thumbs up for all people in the chat. That's the detail that catches people out. It isn't just your view. Everyone in that conversation sees the new emoji in the quick-send spot, and that holds in a one-to-one chat as well as a group.

So think before you pick something in a chat with colleagues or clients. A heart is fine with friends and a bit odd in a supplier thread. The change applies to that one conversation only, so your other chats keep their own setting.

Where you change it	What you tap or click
Android app	Information, then Quick reaction
iPhone app	Name at the top, then Quick reaction
Computer (messenger.com)	Options, then Customise chat, then Change emoji

Messenger chat emoji versus other ways to customise a chat

Don't confuse the quick-send emoji with the other things you can change. Messenger's help pages cover these as separate articles:

• The theme or colour of a chat, which changes how the whole conversation looks.
• Special effects for words, where a chosen word or phrase triggers an emoji effect.
• Nicknames, which change how a person's name appears. I've written about setting nicknames on Messenger if that's what you're after.

The quick reaction emoji is the one that sits by the text box. The reaction choices you see when you hold a message are a separate thing, so changing one won't change the other.

Using a custom Messenger emoji in a business chat

If you run a small business or a community, a chat emoji can be a light touch of branding. A shop owner might choose a product emoji in a chat with a wholesale contact. A coach might pick something upbeat for a client group. Keep it simple, and remember that everyone in the chat sees it. I'd also say that it's a nice detail rather than a marketing tactic, so don't spend long on it.

If you're still getting to grips with what the app can do, my overview of what the Messenger app is and how it works is a good starting point.

Choosing a sensible Messenger chat emoji for a shared conversation

Because one change reaches every person in the chat, it helps to treat the quick-send emoji like any other shared setting. In a family group, anything goes. In a team chat, pick something neutral that nobody could misread, such as a tick or a star. In a thread with a customer, I'd leave the thumbs up alone unless they've started using a different emoji themselves, since changing it can look like you've made a decision on their behalf.

It also helps to remember where the emoji appears. It sits beside the text box, ready to send in one tap, so people will use it far more often than you expect. Pick something you'd be happy to see repeated a dozen times in a row.

If you can't change the emoji on Messenger

• Check you're in the chat itself. The Quick reaction option sits in the conversation information, not in your main settings.
• On a computer, look for Customise chat inside Options rather than in your profile menu.
• Update the app. Older versions can word things differently or hide options. My guide to updating Messenger walks through it.
• Close and reopen the chat, then try the steps again from the top.
• If the option still doesn't appear, report the problem inside the Messenger app or through Messenger's help centre.

Changing the Messenger emoji back to the thumbs up

Messenger's help centre doesn't describe a separate reset button. Follow the same steps and choose the thumbs up emoji again from the list. Because the change applies to everybody in the chat, you may want to give people a heads-up if you swap it back and forth.

A quick recap on changing the emoji on Messenger

Open the chat, open the chat information, pick Quick reaction (or Customise chat then Change emoji on a computer), and choose your emoji. Everybody in that conversation will see the new one in place of the thumbs up.

This guide is part of my Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change the emoji on Messenger?

Open a chat, open the conversation information, tap Quick reaction and choose an emoji. On a computer, click Options, then Customise chat, then Change emoji.

Does everyone in the chat see the new emoji?

Yes. Messenger's help centre says the emoji you choose replaces the default thumbs up for all people in the chat.

Does changing it affect my other chats?

No. The emoji is set for the conversation you're in, so other chats keep their own.

Is the chat emoji the same as the colour or theme?

No. Messenger's help pages cover the theme or colour of a chat in a separate article.

Can I change it back to the thumbs up?

Yes. Go through the same steps and choose the thumbs up emoji again.