Slack is a handy tool for businesses that have teams of mobile workers spread across the globe. It's simple to use, well-organized, and includes everything a virtual office might need. On a Slack channel, you can brainstorm with your colleagues, exchange experiences, submit projects and make suggestions.
But what if a colleague makes a cool suggestion that you like? Well, Slack lets you add a reaction to a message with an emoji. If you accidentally picked the wrong emoji, here's how to remove it.
Adding and deleting a reaction on Slack
Emoji reactions are super handy. When you're short on time or unable to type a response, just choose an emoji to best express your reaction. Like two hands that clap when you want to say "Bravo!" or the thumbs up emoji to say "OK" or "Grade".
If you're using Slack on your desktop, add a reaction by:
- Navigate with your mouse to the post you want to react to and click the Add Reaction icon that appears in the top right corner.
- Choose the desired emoji and click on it.
- You will see the emoji just below the message.
However, if you're using Slack on your mobile phone, follow these steps:
- Press and hold the desired message.
- Tap Add reaction.
- Choose an emoji from the list and tap to add it to the message. You can choose one from the list of most used emojis or tap the add reaction icon in the upper right corner to choose another.
You can also tap the message you want to react to. Once open, tap the Add reaction icon below the message.
Accidentally adding a bad reaction can be a bit embarrassing. However, it can happen to anyone, so just take it off and get on with your day. It's child's play – tap or click on the blue reaction (it's the one you added), and it will disappear.
You can't delete reactions added by other team members, only those you added yourself. You are allowed to add up to 23 reactions to a given post.
How can I see who reacted to my message?
If you want to know who reacted to your post and what emoji they used, here's how to find out.
When using Slack on your computer, follow these steps:
- In the upper left, choose @ Mentions & reactions.
- Scroll down to see who reacted to your message.
Another way is to hover over the reaction to see who added it.
If you're accessing Slack from an Android smartphone, follow these steps:
- Tap the @ Mentions tab at the bottom of the screen.
- scroll to see all the reactions to your posts.
Note that you may have to scroll for a while to find what you're looking for, as people's comments are also listed in Activity. If you only want to see the reaction, go to your post, long press on the reaction and check who reacted on the new screen that will appear.
If you're an iOS user and want to know who reacted to your message on Slack, follow these steps:
- Open Slack and swipe left.
- When the right sidebar appears, tap Activity.
What type of emoji can I use?
On Slack, you can use emojis in or in response to messages. They make your virtual office a happier and more colorful place.
You can add an emoji to your message by choosing one on your keyboard, if you're using Slack on your smartphone, or by typing the emoji code. There are :tada:, :+1:, :raised_hands:, etc. to name a few. You can also tap the smiley below the input field and choose an emoji from the list.
Some emojis have a concise code, so you can enter them instead of searching for them in the list of emojis. For example, if you want the confetti celebration emoji and you know the code by heart, just type :tada: and send the message. The code will turn into the corresponding emoji.
Note that if you use hand emoji or people emoji, you can customize them. If you want to change the skin tone to match your own, for example, follow these steps.
From your computer:
- Click on the smiley icon in the input field.
- Go to the lower right corner and select the hand icon.
- Choose the default skin tone for your future emoji.
From an Android phone:
- Tap the three-dot icon in the upper right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Scroll to find Advanced and tap to open.
- Tap Emoji Deluxe to set a default skin tone.
From an iOS device:
- Press and hold the desired emoji.
- Choose the default skin tone from the context menu.
Reactions suitable for all occasions
In many ways, this feature is like Facebook, only better. The number of reactions is almost endless, so you can find an appropriate reaction for almost any message you and your colleagues exchange on Slack. If you accidentally tap the wrong emoji and place a sad face instead of a smiley face, you can immediately delete the reaction before anyone sees it.
Do you use Slack? Which emoji are on your “commonly used” list? Let us know in the comments section below.
