(Updated) Microsoft Teams: Emoji shortcuts expand to iOS and Android

(Updated) Microsoft Teams: Emoji shortcuts expand to iOS and Android

Microsoft Teams is expanding desktop-style emoji shortcuts to iOS and Android, allowing users to insert emojis by typing keywords between colons (e.g., :smile:). The rollout is scheduled from August to September 2026, enabled by default with no admin controls, enhancing mobile emoji input consistency and productivity.

2026-07-01T16:32:07.337Z

Updated message,New feature,User impact

<p>Updated July 1, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.&nbsp;</p><p><b>[What and Why]</b></p><p> We are bringing desktop-style emoji shortcuts to Microsoft Teams on iOS and Android. Users can insert emojis directly in the compose box by typing a keyword between colons (for example, <code>:smile:</code> → 😊).</p><p> This update improves consistency across platforms and enhances user productivity by making emoji input faster and more intuitive on mobile devices.</p> <p>This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&amp;searchterms=565370" target="_blank">565370</a>.</p> <p><b>[Rollout Schedule]</b></p> <ul> <li>Targeted Release (Worldwide): We began rolling out in <b>early August 2026</b> (previously&nbsp;late March)&nbsp;and expect to complete by <b>mid-August 2026</b> (previously&nbsp;early July).</li> <li>General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in<b>&nbsp;mid-August 2026 </b>(previously early July)&nbsp;and expect to complete by <b>late August 2026</b> (previously&nbsp;late July).</li><li>General Availability (GCC): We will begin rolling out in <b>mid-August 2026</b> (previously&nbsp;mid-July)&nbsp;and expect to complete by <b>early September 2026</b> (previously&nbsp;early August).</li><li>General Availability (GCC High): We will begin rolling out in <b>late August 2026</b> (previously&nbsp;late July)&nbsp;and expect to complete by <b>mid-September 2026 </b>(previously&nbsp;mid-August).</li><li>General Availability (DoD): We will begin rolling out in <b>early September 2026</b> (previously&nbsp;early August)&nbsp;and expect to complete by <b>late September 2026</b> (previously&nbsp;late August).</li> </ul> <p><b>[Impact on Your Organization]</b></p> <p><b>Who is affected:&nbsp;</b>All Microsoft Teams users on iOS and Android devices</p> <p><b>Platforms/Services:&nbsp;</b>Microsoft Teams (iOS and Android)</p> <p><b>What will happen:</b></p> <ul> <li>Users can open the emoji suggestion menu by typing <code>:</code> followed by at least two characters (e.g., <code>:sm</code>)</li> <li>Users can insert emojis by typing a full name between colons (e.g., <code>:smile:</code> → 🙂)</li> <li>Common emoticons such as <code>:)</code>, <code>:D</code>, and <code>:P</code> automatically convert into emojis</li> <li>Lowercase emoticons (e.g., <code>:d</code>, <code>:p</code>) are also supported</li> <li>Emoji search supports fuzzy matching and mid-string search</li> <li>Custom emojis are supported</li> <li>Parenthesis <code>()</code> shortcuts continue to work and will be retired later in alignment with desktop</li> <li>The feature is <b>enabled by default</b> with no admin controls</li> </ul> <p><b>[Action Required / Recommendations]</b></p> <ul> </ul><p>No action is required.</p><p>To prepare your organization:</p><ul><li>Notify your help desk about the updated emoji shortcut experience.</li><li>Update internal training or adoption materials to include emoji shortcuts triggered with&nbsp;<code>:</code>.</li><li>Consider sharing a brief user communication highlighting the new mobile parity experience.</li> </ul> <p><b>Learn more:&nbsp;</b></p><ul><li><a href="https://support.microsoft.com/teams/free/chat-calling/send-an-emoji-or-gif-in-microsoft-teams-free" target="_blank">Send an emoji or GIF in Microsoft Teams Free | Microsoft Support</a></li><li><a href="https://support.microsoft.com/teams/chat/send-an-emoji-gif-or-sticker-in-microsoft-teams" target="_blank">Send an emoji, GIF, or sticker in Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Support</a></li></ul><p><b>[Compliance considerations]</b></p><p> No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.</p>