How to Add Custom Emojis in Slack

Upload a Custom Emoji

1. Download the emoji you want from Teamsmoji.
2. In Slack, click the emoji icon in any message box.
3. Click "Add Emoji" (on desktop it is at the bottom of the emoji picker).
4. Upload the image you downloaded.
5. Give it a short, lowercase name. This is what people type after the colon to find it.
6. Click Save to add it to the workspace emoji picker.

On iPhone and Android

Slack also documents an iOS upload path: open the emoji picker, name the emoji, tap Add custom emoji, choose an image, and tap Add. The Slack Android app cannot currently upload custom emoji. Save the file and upload from desktop instead. These platform steps were checked against Slack Help on October 28, 2026. The phone guide has the fuller workflow.

If You Cannot Add Emojis

Workspace owners can restrict emoji uploads to admins. If "Add Emoji" is missing or disabled, send the file to an admin and ask them to upload it. Slack says members can add emoji by default, except guests and Frontline Members.

What Works Best

Slack says square JPG, PNG, or GIF images under 128 KB with transparent backgrounds work best, and GIFs can have up to 50 frames. Check your downloaded file against those limits before uploading.

Aliases and Search

People find emojis by typing a colon and a few letters, so the name matters more than the image. Name it what people will actually type: party_parrot, not my_final_upload_v2. More tips in the naming guide.

Source and limits

Checked October 28, 2026 against Slack's upload guide. These steps follow the documentation, not an upload tested in your workspace. The size guidance is a recommendation; permission and client limits still apply.