Emojis have become an incredibly popular way to react to messages, posts, and other content online. Many messaging apps and social media platforms now allow users to react with a set of default emojis like thumbs up, heart eyes, laughing face, angry face, crying face, etc. However, some apps take emoji reactions a step further by letting you customize or change the default emoji reactions.
What apps allow custom emoji reactions?
Here are some of the top apps that allow you to customize emoji reactions:
- Slack – Slack has an option to use custom emoji for reactions. You can upload your own emoji images to create custom reaction options.
- Discord – Discord also lets you upload custom emojis which can then be used for reacting to messages. There are also options to create emoji servers dedicated to custom emojis.
- Telegram – Telegram has customizable emoji packs you can install to access new emoji reactions.
- WhatsApp – WhatsApp allows you to change the skin tone of default reactions to be more inclusive.
- Facebook Messenger – While you can’t upload totally custom emojis, Messenger does allow you to change reaction emoji skin tones.
- Instagram – Doesn’t allow custom emoji reactions, but you can use emoji keyboards to paste in any emoji when commenting.
- Twitter – No option for custom reactions, but you can tweet any emoji using an emoji keyboard.
How to add custom emoji reactions in Slack
Here is a step-by-step guide to adding custom emoji reactions in Slack:
- Open Slack and go to your workspace settings
- Select “Configure Custom Emoji”
- Click “Add custom emoji”
- Give your emoji a name/label
- Upload your emoji image (must be under 128KB)
- Click “Save Changes”
Once added, you’ll be able to use your custom emoji like any other emoji reaction in Slack. To react with a custom emoji, click the emoji button when reacting to a message and search for your custom emoji by name.
Adding custom emoji reactions in Discord
Discord also makes it easy to create custom emoji reactions with these steps:
- In a Discord server, go to Server Settings > Emoji
- Click Upload Emoji and select your image
- Give the emoji a name and click Upload
The custom emoji will now appear in your server’s emoji list. To react with it, click the emoji icon when reacting and search for your custom emoji by name.
In addition, Discord allows creation of emoji-dedicated servers. This allows uploading a large number of custom emoji that can be shared across multiple servers.
Installing Telegram emoji packs
Telegram takes a different approach – instead of individual custom emoji, you can install entire packs with themes like holidays, sports, movies, etc. To add custom emoji packs:
- Open your Telegram app and view your profile
- Go to Settings > Stickers and Emoji > Emoji
- Tap any pack to preview the emojis
- Tap Add next to any pack to install it
The emoji from installed packs will now be available when reacting to any message. You can switch between packs by tapping the elephant icon when reacting.
Changing default emoji skin tones
Platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger allow reactions with different skin tones. To change tone:
- When reacting, press and hold an emoji reaction
- A popup will appear – select the desired skin tone
- React using the chosen skin tone emoji
This allows for more inclusive, representative reactions without needing totally custom emoji.
Emoji reaction limitations
Some platforms don’t allow custom emoji reactions:
- Instagram only features the default reaction emoji set
- Twitter only allows reacting with the single heart icon emoji
For these apps, you can manually paste in any emoji using an emoji keyboard. But they don’t allow reactions with custom emoji.
Choosing custom emoji vs default reactions
Here are some pros and cons to consider when deciding whether to use custom vs default reactions:
Pros of custom emoji reactions:
- Lets you express reactions more accurately
- Can reinforce branding or themes
- Adds personality and fun
- Stand out from default reactions
Cons of custom emoji reactions:
- Can take more effort to add/manage custom emoji
- Users may not understand more obscure custom emoji
- Limits you to platforms with custom emoji support
Pros of default emoji reactions:
- Recognizable and understood by everyone
- Quick and easy to use
- Consistent experience across multiple platforms
Cons of default emoji reactions:
- More generic reactions
- No options to customize or stand out
- Can’t react in nuanced, expressive ways
Best practices for custom emoji reactions
If you do decide to add custom emoji reactions, keep these tips in mind:
- Use emoji that are clearly recognizable and relate to your content/brand
- Keep total custom emoji counts reasonable (10-20 good options)
- Add useful keywords so emoji are easy to search/find
- Introduce new custom emoji gradually over time
- Make sure emoji look good at small reaction icon sizes
- Provide an emoji key or legend if needed
Tools for creating custom emoji
You can create custom emoji images using:
- Emoji design apps like Bitmoji or Emojida
- Image editing software like Photoshop, GIMP
- Online emoji makers like EmojiMaker or EmojiCraft
- Hiring a designer to create custom emoji
The most important thing is for your emoji to look clean, be recognizable at small sizes, and convey the desired reaction.
Conclusion
Custom emoji reactions can take messaging and conversations to the next level. They allow more personalized, nuanced ways of reacting. The best apps for custom reactions are Slack and Discord, which allow uploading your own emoji images. Telegram has downloadable emoji packs to access. And apps like WhatsApp allow changing default emoji skin tones for more diversity. Consider the pros and cons before introducing custom emoji – they can be fun and expressive when done right, but need to be managed properly. With the right custom emoji strategy, you can stand out from the default reactions and bring more of your own style to social platforms and messaging apps.