How to Add Custom Emojis in Zoom Team Chat

Before You Start

• You need Zoom desktop or mobile app version 5.16.0 or later. Older apps don't show custom emojis.
• Custom emojis are on by default, but your account owner or admin can turn them off for everyone or for a group.
• Every emoji you upload is visible to everyone in your organization's Zoom account, in messages and reactions. Pick images you'd be fine seeing in any channel.
• Custom emojis don't work in encrypted chat channels.

Prepare the File

Zoom accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, and GIF files. It recommends a square image of 256 KB or smaller, with a transparent background.

Those are small files, so crop tight and keep the design simple. An animated GIF can go over 256 KB quickly; the animated GIF guide covers trimming frames and colors. The Teamsmoji emoji maker crops and exports a square file in your browser, and the size limits guide shows how Teams, Slack, and Discord compare.

Upload a Custom Emoji

Zoom documents these steps in the desktop app:

1. Open the Chat tab.
2. Next to the compose box in any conversation, click the emoji icon.
3. Click the more option to open the full emoji list.
4. Click the custom emojis icon to jump to that section.
5. Click Add, then drag in your file or click Choose files.
6. Type a name under Give your emoji a name.
7. Click Add to upload it.

Zoom says uploading also works from the mobile app, but its written steps cover the desktop app.

Pick a Name People Will Search For

Zoom names can use letters, numbers, and underscores. Hyphens aren't on that list, so write ship_it, not ship-it. That matters if you copy names from Google Chat or Slack, where hyphens are common.

Use the word people will type when they search, not a file name like logo_final2. The naming guide has patterns that hold up as the list grows.

Use a Custom Emoji

Open the emoji icon, click more, then click the custom emojis icon. Click View More at the bottom to load the full list for your organization. Pick an emoji to add it to a message, or open the same panel from a message to react with it.

Zoom shows the emojis you added and the most popular ones first. Hover over a custom emoji to see its name and a larger preview. You can also copy and paste custom emojis within Chat.

Delete Your Custom Emojis

In the custom emojis section of the emoji panel, click Manage to see the ones you uploaded. Select one or more and click Delete. Deleting removes the emoji from your organization's account, not only from your own picker.

Zoom doesn't document a rename option, so to change a name, delete the emoji and upload it again. See deleting or renaming a custom emoji for how other apps handle this.

No Add Button?

If you can't find the custom emojis section or the Add button, check these first:

• Your Zoom app is older than 5.16.0. Update it and restart.
• Your admin turned off Chat emojis for the account or for your group. Zoom notes that turning off chat emojis also turns off custom emojis.
• Your admin has limited who can upload. You can still use existing emojis. Ask them to add yours.
• You're in an encrypted channel, where custom emojis aren't available.

For Zoom Admins

Account owners and admins control custom emojis in the Zoom web portal:

• Whole account: Admin Center, Settings, Chat, then the Chat emojis toggle under Sharing. The lock icon stops users from changing it.
• One group: Admin Center, Users, Groups, pick the group, Edit product settings, the Zoom Chat tab, then Chat emojis under Sharing. If the toggle is grayed out, it is locked at the account level.
• Review uploads: Admin Center, Settings, General, then Manage Custom Emojis under Custom emojis. The list shows each emoji's image, name, uploader, and date added, with a Delete button.

Zoom notes that deleted emojis may be uploaded again, depending on who has permission to upload. A short shared rule for what belongs in the list helps more than deleting after the fact. Managing a workplace emoji library has a simple setup.