- Microsoft confirmed its Teams service to get custom emojis at the Windows Build Developer Conference.
- The feature will work similarly to how Slack lets its users make and use custom emojis.
- It will be available to try at the Microsoft Teams public preview, which will drop next month.
While Microsoft Teams offers more features with its free version, it’s not exactly the most intuitive messaging platform out there. For collaboration, many organizations prefer Slack to Teams. This is thanks to its integration versatility, upbeat user interface, and informal messaging elements like custom emojis. Well, it looks like Teams is taking a step forward to create a more expressive space with custom emojis feature.
Microsoft made the announcement at the Windows Build Developer Conference on May 21, 2024. Moreover, the feature is scheduled to drop in June of this year via the Microsoft Teams public preview. We can expect public availability in July 2024.
For custom emojis to work, IT admins of a Teams domain will have control over which custom emojis appear or who can use them. For example, admins can give the custom emoji access to the users they want to limit it to. They can also choose to keep the feature turned off entirely on their domain.
As for how the feature will work on Teams, it’s no rocket science. Just like on Slack, you can head over to a chat or group > Emoji icon, and add a custom emoji.
While this is a pretty appreciable step by Microsoft for its Teams, they’re probably a tad too late to the party. Custom emojis have been present on Slack and Discord for years now. If you ask me, the Beebom team can’t go a day without making GIFs out of each other’s embarrassing moments and sharing them on Slack groups.
Besides, it also makes conversations a lot more fun and spontaneous, thereby keeping the spirit of it all alive. Here’s a look at how the Beebom team uses custom emojis and reactions on Slack:
Yes, it may appear a tad too informal to some, but the way teams work has changed over the years, in my opinion. Gone are the days of conventional emails to keep each other in the loop. Quick decisions and team achievement celebrations are better with platforms like Slack. With custom emojis, I sure do hope that Microsoft Teams are used for more than just stress-inducing meetings.
