How to Add an Emoji to Slack (Custom Emoji That Look Sharp)

Custom emoji are one of the small things that make a Slack workspace feel like yours: the company logo as a reaction, a 'shipped' badge, a teammate's famous mug. Adding one takes under a minute, as long as your workspace allows it. Here's how on desktop and iPhone, the image rules that make emoji look sharp, and how to remove one.

Add a custom emoji on desktop

1. Click the smiley face icon in the message field to open the emoji menu.
2. Click Add Emoji.
3. Click Upload Image and choose your file.
4. Under Give it a name, type the name people will use, then click Save.

Your new emoji appears under the Slack icon in the emoji picker, and anyone in your organisation can use it in messages and reactions.

Add one from your iPhone

1. Tap the smiley face icon in the message field.
2. Type a name for your emoji and tap Add custom emoji. If the name's taken, pick another.
3. Follow the prompts to upload an image.
4. Tap Add in the top right corner.

Android users: Slack says custom emoji can't currently be added from its Android app, so use a computer.

Image rules for emoji that look good

Rule	What Slack recommends
Shape	Square
File size	Under 128KB works best
Background	Transparent
File types	JPG, PNG or GIF
Animated GIFs	Up to 50 frames

Emoji show up tiny, so keep the design simple and bold. A logo with fine text or a busy photo turns into a smudge. Crop tightly, remove the background, and test how it looks at small size before uploading. A transparent PNG nearly always beats a JPG, which can't have a see-through background.

Naming your emoji

The name is how people find and type it, so make it obvious and short: :shipped:, :logo:, :thanks-team:. Avoid in-jokes only two people understand, because everyone in the workspace will see the name pop up in suggestions. Slack also supports emoji aliases, which let one emoji answer to more than one code, handy when people search for it in different ways.

Why you can't add emoji

• You're a guest: by default, only members can add custom emoji.
• Your workspace has restricted it: Slack says owners can limit who adds custom emoji. Ask an owner or admin.
• You're on the Android app: switch to desktop or iPhone.
• The file is too large or the wrong format: use a square PNG, JPG or GIF under 128KB.

Making an emoji from your logo

Your logo is the obvious first custom emoji, and the one people get wrong most often. Use the symbol rather than the full wordmark, because text becomes unreadable at emoji size. Export it as a square PNG with a transparent background, leaving a little breathing space around the edges so it doesn't look cramped next to standard emoji. Check the file is under 128KB, which Slack says works best. Name it something simple like :ourlogo:, and post a quick message telling the team it exists, or nobody will find it.

Who should be allowed to add emoji?

In small teams, letting every member add emoji is usually fine and quite fun. In larger workspaces, or ones shared with clients, it can get messy fast. Owners can restrict who adds custom emoji, so decide early. A common middle ground is letting everyone suggest emoji in a channel and having one person upload the good ones, which keeps the picker useful.

Borrow emoji from partner workspaces

If you work with another company in a Slack Connect channel or direct message, you can right-click one of their custom emoji to add it to your own organisation. It's a nice touch when a client has a brilliant reaction emoji your team keeps wishing it had.

Emoji packs: a shortcut

Slack offers emoji packs, sets of custom emoji created for Slack that you can add to your workspace in one go. If you want a few fun extras without designing them yourself, look at the packs before making your own.

Remove a custom emoji

1. On desktop, click your workspace name at the top left.
2. Select Customize [workspace name]. Owners and admins may need to click Settings & administration first.
3. Click the Emoji tab.
4. Search for the emoji and click the delete icon, then confirm with Delete Emoji.

Members can only delete emoji they added themselves. Owners and admins can delete any custom emoji.

Emoji that help work, not just fun

• A tick or 'done' emoji as a reaction to close off requests without another message.
• An 'eyes' style emoji meaning 'I'm looking at this', so nobody duplicates work.
• A 'needs review' emoji to flag messages for a manager.

Agreed reactions like these cut a surprising amount of back-and-forth. If you're tidying up communication across tools, my guide to changing the emoji on Messenger covers the Facebook side, and my office productivity hacks include more small habits that save time.

My verdict

Smiley face, Add Emoji, upload, name, save. Use a square transparent PNG under 128KB and a short, obvious name. If the option's missing, you're probably a guest or your owner has restricted it, and on Android you'll need a computer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a custom emoji to Slack?

Click the smiley face in the message field, choose Add Emoji, upload an image, name it and click Save.

What size should a Slack emoji be?

Slack says square images under 128KB with a transparent background work best, in JPG, PNG or GIF.

Can I add Slack emoji on Android?

No. Slack says it's not currently possible to add custom emoji from the Slack Android app.

Why can't I add an emoji in Slack?

Guests can't by default, and owners can restrict who adds custom emoji. Ask an owner or admin.

How do I delete a custom emoji in Slack?

Open your workspace name, Customize, the Emoji tab, then click the delete icon. Members can only delete emoji they added.