In February, rumors first hit the internet that Microsoft was internally testing a way for Teams users to create and use custom emoji and reactions in text meetings. The company officially announced in May that this feature was indeed in the works.
Today, Microsoft announced that members of the Teams Public Preview program, along with Microsoft 365 Targeted release members, can now try out this new and highly anticipated addition for online meetings.
In a post on the Microsoft 365 Insider blog, Microsoft stated:
Let your personality shine in Teams! Now you have the ability to upload your own custom emojis to personalize your messaging and reflect your team’s unique culture. Custom emojis and reactions in Teams are a great way to efficiently communicate your status or share a lighthearted message or feeling.
The members of the Teams Public Preview can launch a chat or channel in Teams and then click on the Emoji icon, and then click on the Emoji option at the top of the window.
The blog post states:
In the bottom right area of the window, select the Emoji icon with the dotted line circle around it. This will bring up the Custom section of the emojis library. Select the one you want from these options to insert it into your chat.
If the Teams admin in your business or organization allows users to upload custom emojis, you can start by going to the Custom section of the emoji library and click on the "+" icon. The File Explorer window should launch and should allow users to upload their custom emoji. It will accept JPEG, PNG, or GIF files, and of course, smaller images that are shaped by a square will work best.
This feature will work with the Teams apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and the web. (Sorry, Android Teams users; custom emoji and reactions are not available for that platform). There"s no word on when it will be available for all Teams users.