teams change emojis

How to Use Microsoft Teams Secret Emoticons

Microsoft Teams has gained popularity among professionals as a communication tool. Many companies have switched to this app to maintain their productivity especially since the rise of the pandemic. Just like any other communication app, it too supports emojis and reactions. There are various different emoticons available in the Microsoft Teams app. Apart from the emoji panel, there are a few secret emoticons too. This short guide will help you use Microsoft Teams secret emoticons as well as GIFs and Stickers. So, let’s begin!

Table of Contents

How to Use Microsoft Teams Secret Emoticons in Windows PCs

Microsoft Teams recently included a new set of secret emojis in Teams. These emoticons are not special characters or animated. They are known to be secret only because most users are unaware of them . The official Microsoft Account Twitter account tweeted this inclusion as well. Additionally, you can visit the Microsoft Support page to learn about all available shortcuts and names for emojis.

Microsoft Teams allows you to insert emojis in two different ways:

• Through emoji panel and
• Through keyboard shortcuts

Method 1: Through Emoji Letter Shortcut

You can easily use Microsoft Teams secret emoticons by typing colon and the letter for that particular emoji.

Note: This will work only in Teams Desktop version and not in Teams Mobile app.

1. Press the Windows key , type Microsoft Teams , and click on Open .

2. Open a Teams channel or Chat thread . 

3. Click on the chat text area and type a colon (:) .

4. Then, type a letter after the colon for a particular emoji. Continue to type to form a word.

Note: When you type, the word relevant to the emoticons will appear

5. Lastly, hit Enter to send the emoji.

Method 2: Through Emoji Word Shortcut

Few common emojis in the emoji palette also have keyboard shortcuts to insert them in the chat text area.

1. Launch Microsoft Teams and go to a chat thread .

2. Type the name of the emoji under parenthesis in the chat text area. For example, Type (smile) to get a smile emoji.

Note: You will receive similar emoji suggestions while typing the same, as shown.

3. After you finish typing the name, close the parenthesis. The desired emoji will be automatically inserted.

Also Read: How to Stop Microsoft Teams from Opening Automatically on Windows 11

Method 3: Through Teams Emoji Menu

Inserting emojis in Teams chats is quite simple. Follow the given steps to insert secret Microsoft Teams emoticons:

1. Open the Microsoft Teams app and navigate to a chat thread or Teams channel .

2. Click on the emoji icon given at the bottom of the chat text area.

3. Here, choose the emoji you want to send from the Emoji palette .

4. The said emoji appears in the chat text area. Hit the Enter key to send it.

Method 4: Through Windows Emoji Shortcut

Windows OS also provides you with a keyboard shortcut to open emoji panels across all applications. Following are the steps to use Microsoft Team Secret emoticons through Windows Emoji shortcut:

1. Go to Microsoft Teams and open a chat thread .

2. Press the Windows + . keys simultaneously to open Windows Emoji panel.

3. Finally, click on the desired emoji to insert it.

Note: Apart from emojis, you can also insert kaomoji and symbols using this panel.

How to Customize Emojis

Apart from using the same available emojis, you can also customize emojis in Microsoft Teams. Follow the steps listed below to learn how.

1. Navigate to the team channel or chat thread in the Microsoft Teams app.

2. Click on the emoji icon at the bottom.

3. In the Emoji palette , look for the emoji with a grey dot at the top right corner.

4. Right-click on that emoji and choose the desired customized emoji .

5. Now, the emoji appears in the chat text area . Press Enter to send it.

Also Read: How to Change Microsoft Teams Profile Avatar

How to Use Teams Emoticons in Mac

Similar to Windows, Mac also has an in-built shortcut to open the emoji panel.

1. Simply, press Control + Command + Space keys simultaneously to open the Emoji panel on Mac.

2. Then, click the desired emojis to include in your chats.

How to Use Teams Emoticons in Android

Inserting emojis on the Teams mobile app is as simple as it is on Teams PC version.

1. Open the Teams app on your mobile and tap on a chat thread .

2. Then, tap the emoji icon in the chat text area, as shown.

3. Choose the emoji you want to send.

4. It will appear in the chat text area. Tap the arrow icon to send the emoji.

Also Read: How to Stop Microsoft Teams Pop up Notifications

Pro Tip: How to Insert Microsft Teams Stickers & GIFs

You can also insert stickers, memes, and GIFs in Microsoft Teams as follows:

1. Launch Microsoft Teams on your PC.

2. Open a Teams channel or a chat thread .

To Insert Microsoft Teams GIFs

3A. Click the GIF icon at the bottom.

4A. Then, select the desired GIF .

5A. It will be inserted in the chat text area . Press Enter to send the GIF.

To Insert Microsoft Teams Stickers

3B. Click the Sticker icon as shown.

4B. Search for the sticker  and select it to insert in the chat.

5B. It will be inserted in the chat text area . Press Enter to send the Sticker.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Can we use Alt codes to insert emoticons in Microsoft Teams?

Ans. No , Alt codes will not insert emoticons, GIFs, or Stickers in Microsoft Teams. You can use Alt codes to insert symbols only in Word documents. You can find Alt codes for emojis online.

Q2. What are custom emojis in Microsoft Teams?

Ans. The custom emojis are nothing but the ones that are available within it. The emojis you see on clicking the Emoji icon at the bottom are custom emojis.

Q3. How many categories of emojis are present in Microsoft Teams?

Ans. There are nine categories of emojis present in Microsoft Teams for easy identification and access:

• hand gestures,
• travel and places,
• activities,
• objects, and

Recommended:

• Complete List of Windows 11 Run Commands
• Fix Steam Error Code e502 l3 in Windows 10
• How to Stop Microsoft Teams from Opening on Startup
• Fix Microsoft Teams Keeps Restarting

We hope this guide on inserting Microsoft Teams secret emoticons, GIFs & Stickers helped you in making your chats more lively & interesting. Also read our guide on How to Blur Background on Microsoft Teams .. Keep visiting our page for more cool tips & tricks and leave your comments below.

About The Author

Pete Mitchell

Windows 11 S Mode: Pros, Cons, and Step-by-Step Guide

6 Ways to Fix Cannot Send Audio Messages at this Time in iOS 16

How to Join Xbox Party on Mac, Windows PC, or Phone

How to Get Chegg Answers for Free

How to Download Driver for Rollo Wired and Wireless Printer on Windows PC

7 Ways to Fix Roku No Signal Issue

1 thought on “how to use microsoft teams secret emoticons”.

Would be nice to be able to add emoticons. The MS Library is not very nice compared to others – like slack.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News about Google Chat, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Webex, and Zoom

Microsoft teams emojis: when, how, and why to use them 🤔.

It might seem a trivial aspect on the face of it but Microsoft Teams emojis have become a staple in the way we use asynchronous messaging .

From a laugh to notify your colleague you found them funny (even if you didn’t) to a sad face to save you from fumbling the words, written communication needs emotion. And emojis help that tenfold.

In this post, we run through the following topics relating to Microsoft Teams emojis:

• How do you add emojis to Microsoft Teams ?
• How do I get the new Microsoft Teams emojis ?

Microsoft Teams emojis vs reactions

Hold up – my microsoft teams emojis are not working, how do you add emojis to microsoft teams.

To add emojis to a Microsoft Teams chat or channel messages, use the Teams emoji panel or use emoji shortcuts.

Add emojis to Microsoft Teams using the Teams emoji panel

First, the account admin must enable emojis. After that, anytime you need to use an emoji, all you need to do is click the smiley icon just below the message tray in a chat or channel.

The Teams emoji panel will open up for you to select your preference.

Add emojis to Microsoft Teams using shortcuts

There are three Teams shortcuts for adding emojis in your chats and channels:

• Emoticons: Emoticons are those faces that are made using keyboard symbols like the colon (:), semicolon (;), hyphen (-), etc. to create expressions like a smiley 🙂 .

Microsoft Teams converts valid and supported emoticons into their corresponding emojis. All you have to do is type out the symbols in the message tray.

Examples include 🙂 😉 and 🙂 

• Parentheses: Opening a parenthesis and typing in it will pop up a list containing emojis for you to choose from. If you add the closing parenthesis to the text, the entire unit will be converted into the corresponding emoji.

• Windows emoji panel: Click the Type a new message tray then activate the Windows emoji panel by clicking the Windows + . command.

You can use the emojis in this panel anywhere on your Windows device including Microsoft Teams.

You can also use Microsoft Teams emojis during Teams meeting or call. Just open the in-meeting chat and use any of the methods above.

That includes emoticons. . .

. . .parentheses. . .

. . .the Windows emoji panel. . .

. . .and the Teams emoji panel. . .

Can you add custom emojis to Microsoft Teams?

While apps like Slack have custom emojis you can upload,  Microsoft Teams has limited customization capabilities for its users.

You can add custom emojis to Microsoft Teams:

from the Teams emoji panel; click the smiley icon below the message tray and after the emoji panel pops up, look for emojis with a grey dot at the top left corner.

This grey dot means that you can customize a Microsoft Teams emoji. Right-clicking on the emoji will enable you to choose your preferred skin tone for that emoji.

from the Windows emoji panel; firstly, it’s important to note that using the Windows emoji panel gives you access to many emojis, symbols, and even kaomojis that are not available on Teams.

You can also customize those emoji’s skin tones on the panel and use them on Teams.

On Windows 11, there are more customization options for group emojis like the family emoji.

Click Windows + . and after the panel pops up, select a group emoji and click on the plus tab beside it.

You’ll now be able to choose a face and skin tone to create personalized combinations of that emoji and use on Teams.

How do I get the new Microsoft Teams emojis?

The new emojis are available on most devices and software systems by default.

These are the prerequisites to use the new Teams 3D emojis with the Fluent design:

• Your device should run a Windows 10 software or higher.
• You must be using the latest mobile version of the Teams app.

The emojis are available by default on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Internet Explorer.

Mobile users get the new Microsoft Teams 3D emojis once the app is updated.

If you’re on the browser or desktop client, however, you’ll need to switch to “public preview” or “developer preview” to have the new Fluent design 3D Teams emojis; or any new Teams features for that matter. Once they leave “public preview”, they will become generally available.

You can switch by clicking the menu icon beside your profile icon, hovering over “About” and clicking “public preview” or “developer preview”.

Click “Switch to public preview” or “Switch to developer preview”. . .

. . .and you’ll get preview access to the new Microsoft Teams emojis.

The difference between Microsoft Teams emojis and Microsoft Teams reactions is where you use them.

When should you use Microsoft Teams emojis vs reactions?

In line with Microsoft Teams etiquette , use reactions and emojis when appropriate.

By appropriate, we mean when you don’t need to send a message in reply. Rather than sending a new message and adding to notification overload , opt for a reaction to let your team/colleague know you’ve seen the message or found it funny.

I tend to use reactions like an "mm-hmm" in the middle of a conversation. — tbanting (@tbanting) May 31, 2022

But do use emojis in Microsoft Teams when they feel right. Your message might need an upside-down face at the end of it 🙃

Just don’t use them out of context. Nobody wants a crying-laugh face if you miss a deadline or break some personal news. 

If that does happen , use the edit message feature to quickly remove the emoji by hovering over your message, clicking the menu icon, and selecting edit.

Replace the emoji and hit send.

Can you add more reactions to Microsoft Teams?

Users have long been limited to just five reaction emojis on Microsoft Teams.

However, Microsoft added a new feature called “ Microsoft Teams: Expanded Reactions ” to its roadmap in November of 2021.

With Expanded Reactions, you’ll be able to apply up to 800+ emojis as a reaction to chat messages. The feature has been pushed back over the course of 2022 but is expected in preview by August of 2022.

There are a few possible reasons why your Microsoft Teams emojis aren’t working.

Why are my emojis not working in Microsoft Teams?

Some common reasons why you may not be able to use Teams emojis include:

• Your Windows may not be up to date (at least Windows 10 for 3D emojis).
• Microsoft Teams itself might have bug problems. The developer team will resolve this themselves and may issue a new update.
• If you have your VPN turned on, it might be interfering with Teams. You should refresh your VPN program, sign out, and back into Teams.

It might be because you simply haven’t enabled them. If this is the case, ask your Teams admin.

How do I enable emojis on Microsoft Teams?

To enable Microsoft Teams emojis, your IT admin has to set an update policy that enables users to access preview features like the Fluent design 3D emojis.

The admin can update policies following these simple steps:

• Sign in to the admin portal and select Teams in the admin center.
• Follow this path, Teams > Teams Update Policies from the navigation bar.
• Click “Global (Org-wide default)” and toggle on “show preview features” in the pop-out that appears.

Members of the organization will now be able to access the new Teams 3D emojis by switching to Developer preview on their desktop client.

Want to send emojis cross-platform?

As long as the emoji type is supported on both platforms, you can send Microsoft Teams messages (with emojis) to other platforms.

For example, you can send Microsoft Teams channel or direct messages to users on Slack, Webex, or Zoom.

Read Next: How To Use Microsoft Teams With Other Platforms

Microsoft Teams now has over 800 emojis in public preview

Microsoft Teams just added support for hundreds of emojis in public preview.

What you need to know

• Microsoft Teams now has over 800 emojis available in public preview.
• Teams now has category and skin tone selectors for emojis.
• You can also use a shortcode picker in Teams.

If you love using emojis, you're in luck. Microsoft Teams now supports over 800 emojis in its public preview. Before this update, Teams only supported 85 emojis (😥). In addition to adding over 700 additional emojis, Microsoft Teams now has a category selector, skin tone selector, and shortcode picker.

The skin tone selector makes emojis more inclusive on Teams. You can now select between six different skin tones on the communication app. To swap skin tones, you just need to right-click on any emoji with a dot in the top-right corner.

The new category selector should make it much easier to find the emoji that you want. Teams splits emojis into nine different categories, smilies, hand gestures, people, animals, food, travel and places, activities, objects, and symbols.

The shortcode picker makes it easier to search for emojis if you know their name. For example, you can search "(smi)" and be shown all of the emojis that start with "smi,' such as smile, smirk, and smilecat.

To use these new emojis and emoji options, your tenant needs to be on the Teams public preview. Once that's set up, the new emojis and options will be enabled by default for tenants with emojis turned on.

Microsoft Teams now supports over 800 emojis in public preview. Its recent option also brings a category selector, skin tone selector, and shortcode picker.

Get the Windows Central Newsletter

All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at  [email protected] .

• 2 ChatGPT is down worldwide with widespread service outages, as the OpenAI ship burns without Sam Altman
• 3 Grab the ENTIRE Dark Souls series for cheap with these Black Friday deals and save your wallet from going hollow
• 4 Prepare for World of Warcraft's next expansion with Best Buy's discount for one of the best MMORPG gaming mice
• 5 Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 catches delay to 2024 — but the release date is being revealed soon

Microsoft Teams now has new 3D emoji

Fluent emoji arrives in preview today.

By Tom Warren , a senior editor covering Microsoft, PC gaming, console, and tech. He founded WinRumors, a site dedicated to Microsoft news, before joining The Verge in 2012.

Share this story

Microsoft Teams is getting new 3D emoji today. The software giant has started refreshing its more than 1,800 emoji in Microsoft Teams with new Fluent design ones. The 3D emoji design is available in preview today in Teams, and it’s the same as Microsoft announced last year for both Windows and Teams.

While Microsoft Teams is getting new 3D emoji, Microsoft has only launched 2D versions in Windows 11 and recently hinted that it’s still working on 3D emoji for Windows.

“Users will see a new take on most of the previous Teams emojis, along with some new picks,” explains Kaushal Mehta , a member of Microsoft Teams’ engineering team, in a blog post. “All skintone-enabled emojis will continue to have 6 skintone options.”

The new 3D emoji will appear in chat and channels and in reactions in chat, channels, or live meetings. There are even animations for some emoji, too. To access the new emoji, you simply need to head into Microsoft Teams settings, about, public preview. IT admins may need to enable the preview features, but once enabled, the 3D emoji will appear in Microsoft Teams across Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and all supported web browsers.

The best Black Friday streaming deals on Max, Paramount Plus, Hulu, and more

Dbrand is suing casetify for ripping off its teardown designs, peloton ceo apologizes after thanksgiving ride struggles with demand, microsoft, can we please just call it windows 11.1 already, bard can now watch youtube videos for you.

More from Tech

Amazon has renewed Gen V for a sophomore season

Universal Music sues AI company Anthropic for distributing song lyrics

FCC greenlights superfast Wi-Fi tethering for AR and VR headsets

OpenAI is opening up DALL-E 3 access

You can apply any emoji as a reaction to chat or channels messages in Teams

Kevin Okemwa

September 29, 2022

Earlier this year, we saw Microsoft add 3D Fluent design emojis to Teams. And now, it is rolling an update tagged 88080 in the Microsoft 365 Roadmap to Microsoft Teams that will allow users to react to both chat and channel messages with any emoji they want.

Currently, users only react to messages with a finite number of emojis. But now, with the expanded reactions they will be able to use any one of the over 800 existing Teams emojis to communicate. You can either browse or use the search bar to find the emoji you want to use to express yourself.

This update will also feature a new reactions user experience, which will help support the expanded reactions in Teams. According to the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, “The reaction hover bar will now feature a reduced number of quick hover options to make space for an expanded reaction button. The reaction summary will also be moved from the top right of the message to the bottom of the message bubble to make space for the wide range of options that can now be added.”

The update’s release time has also been changed and is expected to start rolling out for Teams desktop apps (Windows and Mac), Teams mobile (Android and iOS), and Teams on the web in mid-November and reach general availability towards the end of December.

Windows 11 Beta Channel Insiders get new builds – 22621.730 and 22623.730

Leaks and rumors abound prior to microsoft’s upcoming surface event.

OnMSFT.com is built on:

Wordpress GeneratePress Azure

Theme thanks to heather.

Home About Contact Us

Join our team, © copyright 2014 - 2023 onmsft.com llc.

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Super User is a question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. It only takes a minute to sign up.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

How do I stop Microsoft Teams from converting smileys to emojis?

Whenever I try to type a smiley face in Microsoft Teams, it gets automatically converted into an emoji. This means :) -> 🙂 , <3 -> ❤ , etc. Other chat applications like Discord have options to disable auto-emoji, but Teams seems to be missing this.

How do I stop Microsoft Teams from auto-converting smileys into emojis?

• microsoft-teams

6 Answers 6

Unfortunately, Microsoft Teams does not have a way to disable automatic conversion of smileys to emojis. As a workaround, you can undo the emoji conversion by pressing Ctrl + Z .

• 2 It makes me sad that this is the best solution. Why force autocorrect on users for any purpose? :( –  dmh Sep 7, 2022 at 13:38
• In the markdown of this answer is a link to i.stack.imgur.com/D8w73.gif that is not used anywhere. What was it for? –  cachius Sep 9, 2022 at 13:27
• @cachius That image was leftover from an unposted revision that suggested code formatting the smiley before I discovered the Ctrl+Z trick. –  Stevoisiak Sep 9, 2022 at 14:33

there is a workaround. If you type the smiley in MS Teams it will be converted. But if you type the smiley in e.g. Notepad and copy & paste it in Teams it won't be converted. Not the best solution, but it works..

• Welcome to SuperUser! How is this better than the accepted answer? –  DarkDiamond Sep 9, 2022 at 13:12
• Before answering an old question having an accepted answer (look for green ✓) ensure your answer adds something new or is otherwise helpful in relation to them. Here is a guide on How to Answer . There is also a site tour and a help center . –  help-info.de Sep 9, 2022 at 13:24
• 2 @DarkDiamond I would consider this a valid alternative solution. It's different enough from the accepted answer to be worth posting. –  Stevoisiak Sep 1 at 17:04

If you type the space very (!) quickly after the character completing the smiley, it will not be replaced.

I've also learned that if you make the smileys upside down it doesn't detect them. Only works for some obviously, but it's better than nothing

I found out a few minutes ago that after you complete typing the smiley, which gets converted after you type a space , use Ctrl+Z and Teams un-converts it.

You must type the space after the smiley because if you use Ctrl+Z to un-convert it, typing the space will re-convert it.

That worked for me in both the app and web version of Teams.

I have tried everything to no avail. We have an Accounts Payable department. When I typed Accounts Payable (AP) the "(AP)" became and airplane. Trying all the suggestions in this post were no help. Hitting CNTL-Z after the airplane appeared did return the text "(AP)" -- but hitting the spacebar caused the airplane to return. Typing '(AP)' in Notepad, then copying and pasting immediately produced an airplane.

This is really unacceptable. That a product, especially from a company like Microsoft (I would expect it from Apple) would provide no way to undo these annoying conversions is unbelievable. Highly unprofessional.

Children must be in charge.

• 1 This does not really answer the question. If you have a different question, you can ask it by clicking Ask Question . To get notified when this question gets new answers, you can follow this question . Once you have enough reputation , you can also add a bounty to draw more attention to this question. - From Review –  Rohit Gupta Nov 16 at 23:49

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged microsoft-teams ..

• Featured on Meta
• Update: New Colors Launched
• We're rolling back the changes to the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Hot Network Questions

• Wavejumping: Newly Discovered Move Tech for Martials?
• In which situations or societies do people not take turns to speak in conversations?
• How to deal with author's extensive self-citation?
• Is there anything I can do to get British Airways to cover the cost of a return flight?
• Geometry nodes: How to transfer material information from mesh to the result automatically?
• Why can’t one use the verb 'to stay' in “Two yoghurts stayed in the fridge”?
• Is my timing belt looking bad?
• Cultural fit interview went pretty bad. They want me to re-do it for another team, worth it?
• How do you get that kind of dreamy vintage blur?
• Why are my new wooden treads narrower than the original carpeted treads?
• Is it possible to lose to "Worstfish"?
• Does the term "free" in "free ultrafilter" have a meaning related to category theory?
• How to prevent using source code as data source for machine learning activities?
• "\uppercase{a\lowercase{bC}}" produces "Abc" in TeX?
• What does reported "r" mean in the context of a t-test?
• Print the Christmas alphabet
• An unbelievably talented protagonist who re-creates technology from scratch and wins the girl
• How to understand schematic circuit diagrams in functional safety
• is there a comprehensive list of mapnprojections implemented in R?
• Were postal pneumatic tubes in Berlin (Rohrpost) cleared with wine?
• Is the Gray code unique?
• How to convert a partially entangled state into maximally entangled using SLOCC
• NeoVim - Search for Digraph
• Iron drive: does this fusion superengine require clarketech?

Your privacy

By clicking “Accept all cookies”, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy .

Set Default Emoji Skin Tone in Teams [Complete Guide]

Emojis have evolved from simple smiley faces to different characters that allow you to express a wide range of emotions. Even though so many reactions are available, you cannot overlook their skin colors.

In this article, I’ve explained how to change emoji skin color and set a specific tone that represents your ethnicity as the default in MS Teams.

Let’s begin!

How to Set Default Skin Tones for Emojis in Microsoft Teams

Why should you change your emoji skin color in microsoft teams, final thoughts.

Microsoft Teams allows you to change the skin color of your emojis. Simply right-click on the emoji and choose your preferred skin color. After selecting a color, it’ll become the default emoji skin tone.

Here are the steps to set default skin tones for emojis in Teams:

• Launch the Microsoft Teams app on your computer.
• Open a conversion where you want to send a reaction/emoji.
• Click into the Type a message  textbox.

• Go to the Hand gestures or the People tab from the reaction box.

Now, the emoji skin tone you’ve picked will become the default skin color, and Teams will apply that skin tone to all the emojis in that section automatically.

• Launch Teams on your smartphone.
• Open a conversation where you want to use emojis.

• Select Hand gestures or People from the emoji category menu at the bottom.
• Long press an emoji you want to send, and you’ll see different skin tones for that emoji.

Now, MS Teams will apply your selected skin tone to all the reactions in that specific emoji category and set it to default. So, next time, you don’t have to re-apply the skin color.

Remember, not all emojis support different skin tones. You can only change the skin tone of certain emojis representing human characters.

Changing Emoji Skin Tone in Microsoft Teams and other messaging platforms & social media is a feature that promotes diversity and inclusivity. It allows you to select different skin tones for emojis so you can express yourselves more authentically.

By offering a range of skin tones, MS Teams acknowledges and respects its users’ cultural and racial backgrounds and ensures that every race is represented.

After adding emojis in Teams , the ability to choose your own skin-colored emoji eliminates misinterpretations or misunderstandings in messages, as it allows team members to choose emojis that best align with their racial & ethnic identities and the context of the conversation.

This simple yet impactful customization feature creates a respectful and friendly work environment in Microsoft Teams.

Why are you unable to change hair and skin tones on all emojis?

Not all emojis allow you to change their hair and skin tones. In Microsoft Teams, when you open the emoji box, only the emojis with a small gray dot on the top right can change their skin color. You also cannot change emoji skin tones if you select a reaction from the emoji box that pops up when you hover over a message in Teams.

How to change the color of the thumbs-up emoji on a team?

To change the color of the thumbs-up emoji on a team, open a conversation in the team and click on the Emoji icon. Then, go to the Hand gestures section, right-click on the thumbs-up reaction, and choose your desired skin tone.

Setting up a default emoji skin color in Microsoft Teams is a simple but effective way to improve inclusivity in the office. By personalizing your emoji skin tone, you can ensure your messages convey the correct emotions.

Adjust your settings and make your emoji reactions close to your identity in Teams.

Jason Andrews

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Top Contributors in Microsoft Teams: EmilyS_726  👏

November 13, 2023

Top Contributors in Microsoft Teams:

EmilyS_726  👏

• Search the community and support articles
• Microsoft Teams
• Teams for business
• Search Community member

Ask a new question

How to change color of hand emojis in Teams chat.

If not an option, this needs to be an option please.

Report abuse

Replies (2) .

• Independent Advisor

Was this reply helpful? Yes No

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

Thanks for your feedback.

Question Info

• Chat and groups
• Chat and group chats
• Norsk Bokmål
• Ελληνικά
• Русский
• עברית
• العربية
• ไทย
• 한국어
• 中文(简体)
• 中文(繁體)
• 日本語

How To Quickly Add Emojis In Microsoft Outlook

Posted: November 21, 2023 | Last updated: November 21, 2023

Microsoft Outlook has firmly established itself as a popular option in the corporate world. In fact, as tracked by 6sense , more than 3.3 million companies use Outlook as their mode of communication, accounting for at least 40% of the market share in the email management category. This hardly comes as a surprise, considering the many nifty features Outlook offers. Beyond basic email functionalities, it can also ignore conversations, share Outlook calendars , remind you to attach files to your messages, and even mention individuals in the email body.

However, while you might typically use Outlook for creating formal emails like client proposals and executive reports, you'll still come across lighter, more casual conversations, where emojis are most definitely welcome. Both the desktop and web versions of Outlook include emoji pickers, but they're tucked away behind the many buttons in the Insert tab. If you don't want to fumble around just to add a simple smiley face to your message, there are quicker ways to do so.

Read more: 12 Smart Gadgets You Didn't Know Existed

Adding Emojis In The Windows Desktop App

If you're using the Outlook desktop app (either the free or consumer version), there are two ways to quickly insert emojis into your messages with a few simple clicks. The first method is pulling up the emoji picker. In the Outlook reply box, bring your cursor right where you want to add the emoji. Then, press the Windows keyboard shortcut  Win + . (period) or Win + ; (semi-colon). If you're on a Mac, it's Control + Command + Space. The emoji picker panel will appear on the screen, and you can scroll through the options to find what you want to use. 

The second method is to set up custom shortcuts for your frequently used emojis. Here's how to do so:

• Reply to an existing email or create a new email in the Outlook desktop app.
• Navigate to Insert > Symbol > More Symbols.
• Change the Font to Segoe UI Emoji and the Subset to Extended Characters - Plane 1.
• Click on your preferred emoji.
• Hit the AutoCorrect button at the bottom.
• In the Replace field, type the shortcut you want to use. Make sure it isn't a common word that's already on the auto-correct list. To be safe, you can opt to use symbol combinations like :] or ^.^ as your shortcut.
• Click on Add.
• Hit OK to exit the dialog box.
• Close the Symbol picker dialog box.
• In the reply box, try using your shortcut. It should automatically be replaced with your chosen emoji.

Adding Emojis In The Web App

When using the Outlook web app, you have two methods to add emojis to your messages quickly. The first is by utilizing the emoji picker built into your computer. This feature is accessible not only in the Outlook desktop app but also in any text box across your device. That means you can use it on your web browser too. For Windows PC, press Win + . or Win + ; to pull up the emoji picker. On a macOS, use Control + Command + Space.

The Outlook web app also offers its own emoji picker. To access it, compose a new email or reply to an existing one and type a colon (:) in the reply field. You should see the basic emoji picker on the screen, composed of six frequently used emojis (teary-eyed laugh, heart, heart eyes, sob, blush, and unamused). To see more options, click on the three horizontal dots. This opens an expanded emoji picker on the right side of the screen. You can switch between tabs like smileys, people, animals and nature, food and drink, travel and places, objects, and symbols to locate the particular emoji you wish to add. Alternatively, there's a search bar at the top, where you can enter the emoji name.

Read the original article on SlashGear .

More for You

Donald Trump Stung by Court Filing on Thanksgiving

World’s largest animal rediscovered in Seychelles after being wiped out by hunting

Meet a student-loan borrower with $101,000 in debt who doesn't have 'any hope' with Biden's new plan for loan forgiveness: 'I'm never going to be able to pay it down'

Hagar the Horrible by Chris Browne

The pilgrims didn't invite Native Americans to a feast. Why the Thanksgiving myth matters.

I would not want to be a Houthi guard aboard that hijacked merchant ship right now

Aileen Cannon May Have Just 'Screwed' Donald Trump: Legal Analyst

Angel Reese, Kateri Poole not with LSU at Cayman Islands Classic

‘First light’: NASA receives laser-beamed message from 10 million miles away

18 Human Foods Dogs Can’t Eat, According to Vets

Rhymes with Orange by Hilary Price

The hostages' families should have been jailed to shut them up, says former US citizen who was an Israeli spy

Value of Donald Trump's Properties Broken Down by Real Estate Developer

Why The New York Times’s Jan. 6 U-turn is a big deal

The US Navy’s hi-tech war trimarans are finally going up against China

Lake-effect snow, wind to follow coastal storm in Northeast

The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee by John Hambrock

Iowa school officials said they didn't realize their 'Respect Quote of the day' emailed to parents was a Nazi Germany slogan

Pope Francis' Israel Remarks Spark Fury

Capitol's Jan. 6 surveillance video will finally be released. Here's what could happen next

Windows 11, version 23H2

November 14, 2023—kb5032190 (os builds 22621.2715 and 22631.2715).

• October 31, 2023—KB5031455 (OS Builds 22621.2506 and 22631.2506) Preview

Windows 11, version 22H2

• October 10, 2023—KB5031354 (OS Build 22621.2428)
• September 26, 2023—KB5030310 (OS Build 22621.2361) Preview
• September 12, 2023—KB5030219 (OS Build 22621.2283)
• August 22, 2023—KB5029351 (OS Build 22621.2215) Preview
• August 8, 2023—KB5029263 (OS Build 22621.2134)
• July 26, 2023—KB5028254 (OS Build 22621.2070) Preview
• July 11, 2023—KB5028185 (OS Build 22621.1992)
• June 27, 2023—KB5027303 (OS Build 22621.1928) Preview
• June 13, 2023—KB5027231 (OS Build 22621.1848)
• May 24, 2023—KB5026446 (OS Build 22621.1778) Preview
• May 9, 2023—KB5026372 (OS Build 22621.1702)
• April 25, 2023—KB5025305 (OS Build 22621.1635) Preview
• April 11, 2023—KB5025239 (OS Build 22621.1555)
• March 28, 2023—KB5023778 (OS Build 22621.1485) Preview
• March 14, 2023—KB5023706 (OS Build 22621.1413)
• February 28, 2023—KB5022913 (OS Build 22621.1344) Preview
• February 14, 2023—KB5022845 (OS Build 22621.1265)
• January 26, 2023—KB5022360 (OS Build 22621.1194) Preview
• January 10, 2023—KB5022303 (OS Build 22621.1105)
• December 13, 2022—KB5021255 (OS Build 22621.963)
• November 29, 2022—KB5020044 (OS Build 22621.900) Preview
• November 8, 2022—KB5019980 (OS Build 22621.819)
• October 25, 2022—KB5018496 (OS Build 22621.755) Preview
• October 18, 2022—KB5019509 (OS Build 22621.675) Out-of-band
• October 11, 2022—KB5018427 (OS Build 22621.674)
• September 30, 2022—KB5017389 (OS Build 22621.608) Preview
• Windows 11, version 21H2
• November 14, 2023—KB5032192 (OS Build 22000.2600)
• October 10, 2023—KB5031358 (OS Build 22000.2538)
• September 26, 2023—KB5030301 (OS Build 22000.2482) Preview
• September 12, 2023—KB5030217 (OS Build 22000.2416)
• August 22, 2023—KB5029332 (OS Build 22000.2360) Preview
• August 8, 2023—KB5029253 (OS Build 22000.2295)
• July 25, 2023—KB5028245 (OS Build 22000.2245) Preview
• July 11, 2023—KB5028182 (OS Build 22000.2176)
• June 28, 2023—KB5027292 (OS Build 22000.2124) Preview
• June 13, 2023—KB5027223 (OS Build 22000.2057)
• May 23, 2023—KB5026436 (OS Build 22000.2003) Preview
• May 9, 2023—KB5026368 (OS Build 22000.1936)
• April 25, 2023—KB5025298 (OS Build 22000.1880) Preview
• April 11, 2023—KB5025224 (OS Build 22000.1817)
• March 28, 2023—KB5023774 (OS Build 22000.1761) Preview
• March 14, 2023—KB5023698 (OS Build 22000.1696)
• February 21, 2023—KB5022905 (OS Build 22000.1641) Preview
• February 14, 2023—KB5022836 (OS Build 22000.1574)
• January 19, 2023—KB5019274 (OS Build 22000.1516) Preview
• January 10, 2023—KB5022287 (OS Build 22000.1455)
• December 13, 2022—KB5021234 (OS Build 22000.1335)
• November 15, 2022—KB5019157 (OS Build 22000.1281) Preview
• November 8, 2022—KB5019961 (OS Build 22000.1219)
• October 25, 2022—KB5018483 (OS Build 22000.1165) Preview
• October 17, 2022—KB5020387 (OS Build 22000.1100) Out-of-band
• October 11, 2022—KB5018418 (OS Build 22000.1098)
• September 20, 2022—KB5017383 (OS Build 22000.1042) Preview
• September 13, 2022—KB5017328 (OS Build 22000.978)
• August 25, 2022—KB5016691 (OS Build 22000.918) Preview
• August 9, 2022—KB5016629 (OS Build 22000.856)
• July 21, 2022—KB5015882 (OS Build 22000.832) Preview
• July 12, 2022—KB5015814 (OS Build 22000.795)
• June 23, 2022—KB5014668 (OS Build 22000.778) Preview
• June 20, 2022—KB5016138 (OS Build 22000.740) Out-of-band
• June 14, 2022—KB5014697 (OS Build 22000.739)
• May 24, 2022—KB5014019 (OS Build 22000.708) Preview
• May 10, 2022—KB5013943 (OS Build 22000.675)
• April 25, 2022—KB5012643 (OS Build 22000.652) Preview
• April 12, 2022—KB5012592 (OS Build 22000.613)
• March 28, 2022—KB5011563 (OS Build 22000.593) Preview
• March 8, 2022—KB5011493 (OS Build 22000.556)
• February 15, 2022—KB5010414 (OS Build 22000.527) Preview
• February 8, 2022—KB5010386 (OS Build 22000.493)
• January 25, 2022—KB5008353 (OS Build 22000.469) Preview
• January 17, 2022—KB5010795 (OS Build 22000.438) Out-of-band
• January 11, 2022—KB5009566 (OS Build 22000.434)
• December 14, 2021—KB5008215 (OS Build 22000.376)
• November 22, 2021—KB5007262 (OS Build 22000.348) Preview
• November 9, 2021—KB5007215 (OS Build 22000.318)
• October 21, 2021—KB5006746 (OS Build 22000.282) Preview
• October 12, 2021—KB5006674 (OS Build 22000.258)

Release Date:

OS Builds 22621.2715 and 22631.2715

NEW 11/16/23 IMPORTANT Because of minimal operations during the Western holidays and the upcoming new year, there won’t be a non-security preview release for the month of December 2023. There will be a monthly security release for December 2023. Normal monthly servicing for both security and non-security preview releases will resume in January 2024.

NEW 11/14/23 IMPORTANT After February 27, 2024, there will no longer be optional, non-security preview releases for Windows 11, version 22H2. Only cumulative monthly security updates will continue for the supported editions of Windows 11, version 22H2.

For information about Windows update terminology, see the article about the  types of Windows updates  and the  monthly quality update types . For an overview of Windows 11, version 23H2, see its update history page . 

Note  Follow  @WindowsUpdate  to find out when new content is published to the Windows release health dashboard.         

Tip:  The content is within collapsible sections. Click or tap the category name to expand the section.

Copilot in Windows preview

New! This update adds a preview of centralized AI assistance, called Copilot in Windows . This makes Windows 11 the first PC platform to add centralized AI assistance to help you get things done. This first preview focuses on the integrated UI.

To start, select the Copilot in Windows button on the taskbar (or press WIN + C). Copilot in Windows uses the same Microsoft account (MSA) or Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) account you used to sign in to Windows. Note that Azure AD will change to Microsoft Entra ID .

Copilot in Windows appears as a side bar on the right of your screen. It will not overlap with desktop content or block open app windows.

You can ask questions or take actions, such as:

Copilot in Windows with Bing Chat generates responses that are contextual and improves your experience in Windows.

To learn what Bing does with your data, go to Microsoft Privacy Statement . To learn how Microsoft develops AI technology responsibly, see Microsoft’s commitment to responsible AI .

Note The update to Windows 11, version 22H2 coming on September 26, 2023, will be broadly available to Windows customers around the world. Copilot in Windows will start to release in preview to a select set of global markets. It is our intention to continue to broaden availability over time.

New! This update gives a richer preview when you hover over files under Recommended on the Start menu. For this first release, thumbnails will not be available for all files. Also, when you right-click cloud file recommendations, you have the option to quickly share these files.

Taskbar, system tray, and notifications

New! This update adds an enhanced volume mixer to Quick Settings. Using it, you can customize audio for each app separately. You can also swap audio devices whenever you want. The new keyboard shortcut (WIN + CTRL + V) gets you to the volume mixer fast.

It is also easier to turn on the Windows Spatial Audio experience. A new quick access list shows you all the spatial audio technology installed on your device. To find more spatial sound technology, such as Dolby and DTS, go to the Microsoft Store.

New! This update adds “never combined” mode. In this mode, you can view application windows and their labels on the taskbar separately. To find this feature, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors .Set Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels to Never. Also, there is a separate setting for turning this on for other taskbars when you use multiple monitors.

New! Starting in this update, desktop labels appear when you move between desktops in Task View (WIN + CTRL + left or right arrows). New sliding animations will also show when you change your desktops using trackpad gestures, touch gestures, hot keys, and by clicking the Task View flyout box.

New! You can now hide the time and date in the system tray. To turn this on, right-click the system tray clock and choose Adjust date and time .

New! Notifications now show as a bell icon in the system tray. When new notifications appear, the icon will have a fill color based on your system’s accent color. When there are no notifications and the clock is visible, the icon will have no fill color. The number of notifications will not show. 

New! This update adds a “view notification” button for urgent or important notifications that you receive when you turn on do not disturb. Select the button to view the content of the notification. This button appears when you use an app in full screen.

New! To minimize distractions from notification toasts, Windows now detects if you are interacting with toasts from an app. If not, a suggestion to turn off the toast banner for that app appears. This will only stop the banner from appearing. You can still find the toasts in the notification center.

New! You can now right-click an app on the taskbar and end the task. This update adds a new setting in Settings > System > For developers to turn on this capability.

New! This update adds the option to start diagnosing network problems from the system tray. To view this option, right-click the network icon in the system tray.

File Explorer

New! This update adds a modernized File Explorer Home that is powered by WinUI . Recommended files display as a carousel. That carousel only appears if you are signed in to Windows using an Azure AD account. To turn this off and show pinned folders instead, select the ellipses. To open theFolder Options dialog, select Options . In the Privacy section, select the new checkbox next to S how recommended section .

New! File Explorer’s newly designed address bar recognizes local and cloud folders. It also shows your file’s status. For Microsoft OneDrive users, the address bar now contains your OneDrive sync status and a quota flyout box.

New! A new details pane in File Explorer (ALT + Shift + P) helps you access related content, stay up to date with file activity, and collaborate without opening a file. When you select a file in File Explorer and turn on the pane, the pane displays contextual information about the file. This includes a file thumbnail, its sharing status and button, emails, and more. To turn it on, select the View menu and choose Details pane . Then use the button located on the right side of the command bar to turn on the pane.

New! This update introduces Gallery in File Explorer. Gallery makes it easy to access your photo collection. The content in Gallery is the same as what you see in the All Photos view in the Photos app. Your most recently taken photos appear at the top of Gallery. This includes photos from your phone if you have OneDrive Camera Roll Backup set up.

You can choose the folders that show in Gallery using the Collection dropdown menu. You can also add subfolders of existing sources to filter to a subset of your content. This includes desktop backgrounds, SD cards, and camera imports.

Gallery also works from the file picking dialog . This makes it easy to insert attachments, build PowerPoint slides, or craft social media posts.

A new button, called Add Phone Photos, is in the command bar. Use it to make your PC ready to show photos from your phone in Gallery. When you select this button, a URL appears that has a QR code that you can scan with your phone to get started.

New! This update adds native support for reading additional archive file formats using the libarchive open-source project , such as:

Note This features does not support password encrypted files.

New! You can now tear off and merge tabs with an existing File Explorer window.

New! This update improves the performance of the calculating phase when you send a large number of files at the same time to the recycle bin in File Explorer.

This update addresses an issue that stops File Explorer from opening.

Windows Share

New! You can email your files using Outlook directly within the Windows share window. Select the Outlook icon in the “Share using” section of the Windows share window.

New! The Windows share window now has a search box. So, you can now search for contacts across Outlook to share a file. The Windows share window also displays 8-10 suggested contacts to quickly share to–including emailing yourself a file.

New! Instead of a dropdown menu in the Windows share window, there is a button to turn on nearby sharing.

New! For nearby sharing, your own PCs appear at the top of discovered devices under “Nearby Share.”

New! Sharing files from one PC to another is faster when you use Wi-Fi Direct.

Note These experiences will work for apps that use the built-in Windows share window. These include sharing local files from the desktop, File Explorer, Photos, Snipping Tool, and Microsoft Xbox.

Backup and restore

New! This update introduces the Windows Backup app. Use it to quickly get your current PC backed up and ready to move to a new PC.

New! The Microsoft Store apps from your previous PC are pinned where you left them on the taskbar and the Start menu. Desktop apps that you did not install from the Microsoft Store are also where you left them.

New! Settings from your previous device will restore to your new PC. This helps you get back into your workflow as quickly as possible.

Note This update does not support all settings and app types for Windows Backup. Backing up a Work or School account is not supported.

New! This update adds support for Unicode Emoji 15 . You can now see, search for, and insert new emoji from the emoji panel. To open the emoji panel, press the Windows logo key + . (period).

New! With the update of our color font format to COLRv1 , Windows now displays emoji with a 3D like appearance. You will only see this feature if an app supports it.

Windows Spotlight

New! This update improves the Windows Spotlight experience. You can preview images in full screen using the Learn more button. This update also provides a minimized Windows Spotlight experience. There are many ways to learn more about each image. To open the Windows Spotlight flyout box, right-click the Spotlight icon on the desktop. To learn more about each image, double-click its icon to open a Bing landing page.

New! This update adds new natural voices for Narrator. These voices use modern , on-device text-to-speech. Once you download it, it works without an internet connection. The new natural voices are:

New! When Narrator opens, it will get updates to its Outlook support . After the download is complete, you will get a notification. Currently, Narrator’s Outlook support is only for U.S. English.

New! In Microsoft Excel, Narrator gives a more succinct and efficient reading experience. It prioritizes announcements based on what you need to skim a workbook. You can use keyboard shortcuts to customize them. To learn more, see the Enhanced Narrator support in Excel documentation . This new experience is available from the Microsoft Store. So, it might take a few minutes to be available on your device.

New! This update improves how well Narrator reads Traditional Chinese characters and words when you use the Input Method Editor’s (IME) candidate window. This is only available for the Taiwan language pack. It is not available for the Hong Kong language pack.

Voice Access

New! This update adds commands to correct words that voice access fails to recognize. You can say “correct [text]” to correct specific text. Use “correct that” to correct text you last dictated. The correction window appears with a list of words labelled with numbers. You can say “click [number]” to select any word from the list. If you choose a word from the window, that word replaces the text you want to correct. You can also say “spell that” or “spell out” to dictate the correct spelling of text. You get suggestions as you spell out the text. All the words and phrases that you spell are added to the Windows dictionary. They will appear as suggestions when you try to spell the text again.

New! Voice access now works right when you start your PC. You can turn on voice access from the accessibility flyout box on the Lock screen. To turn it on automatically, go to Settings > Accessibility > Speech . Choose the setting to “Start voice access before you sign in to your PC.” Then you can use voice access to sign in to your PC and access other areas on the Lock screen.

Follow the instructions on the voice access bar to get your focus on the password field. Use your voice to dictate your password or PIN. You can say “show keyboard” to bring up the touch keyboard with number labels on it. Say the number on the key to enter the letter associated with it. This will mask the password you enter from being heard by anyone in your vicinity. You can also use other commands, such as “show numbers” or “click [element name]” to access other elements on the touch keyboard.

New! Voice access now works for apps that run with Microsoft Defender Application Guard turned on.

New! Passkeys are a simple and more secure replacement for passwords when you sign in to a website or application that supports them. You can now go to any app or website that supports passkeys to create a passkey that uses Windows Hello. Once you create a passkey, you can use Windows Hello (face, fingerprint, or PIN) to sign in. In addition, you can use your phone or tablet to sign in.

New ! View and delete passkeys saved for your favorite apps and websites in Windows Settings. Go to Settings > Accounts > Passkeys . The passkey list appears. You can search for and delete any passkey from the device.

Note On Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, when you see the browser’s passkey UI, choose “Windows Hello or external security key.”

New! This update adds Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen . It helps to protect school and work passwords from phishing and unsafe use on websites and in apps. This works if you have turned on the warning options for Windows Security. Go to App & browser control > Reputation-based protection > Phishing protection . When it is on, a dialog appears that warns you about using a password in a way that is not safe. For example, reusing a password is not safe.

New! Enterprise customers can now set the EnablePasswordlessExperience policy . Once you set the policy, it hides passwords for some Windows authentication scenarios. This is true for signing in to a device and for in-session authentication scenarios. These include web browser password managers, “Run as” admin, and User Account Control (UAC). This policy applies to machines that are joined to AAD. Users can recover their passwords using a Windows Hello for Business PIN reset or by signing in on the web. They can do this without help from the IT helpdesk.

New! You can turn on Auto Color Management (ACM) on your Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) display. ACM makes all the colors on all your Windows apps appear accurately and consistently on every supported display. This is true even if the apps are not color managed. To turn ACM on, go to Settings > Display > Advanced display . Choose theSDR display and turn on Automatically manage color for apps . See the requirements to use ACM in the table below.

There are no hard requirements for the display or connection. ACM can provide benefits even on 8-bit sRGB panels. However, we strongly recommend ACM devices to have panels with a wider-than-sRGB gamut. Ten-bits (10-bits) per color channel or greater is also advised as an option.

New! This update adds a new Settings home page. It has interactive cards that represent devices and account related settings. As you use your device, the page and cards adjust to give you the most relevant and useful information. In this release, there are up to seven cards (see below). More are coming soon.

Recommended settings : It gives you options that help save you time.

Cloud storage : This shows your cloud storage use and lets you know when you are nearing capacity.

Account recovery : It helps you add more recovery information. This stops you from being locked out of your account.

Personalization : With just one click, you can change your background theme or color mode.

Microsoft 365 : View a quick glimpse of your subscription status and benefits. Here, you can also perform some key actions instead of going to the web.

Xbox : Here, you can view your subscription status and manage the subscription.

Bluetooth Devices : You can quickly access and connect to your favorite Bluetooth devices.

Note This experience is only available on Windows 11 Home and Pro editions. It is not on devices that companies manage.

New!  Dev Drive is a new form of storage volume. It gives developers what they need to host source code, working folders, and package caches. Dev Drive is built on Resilient File System (ReFS) technology. Dev Drive also has Performance mode. It is a new Microsoft Defender Antivirus capability. Performance mode minimizes the impact on developer workloads. You can create a Dev Drive using free space on an existing drive or create a VHD/VHDX. Go to the Settings app within System > System > For developers . You can also set it up using the command-line. A Dev Drive must be at least 50 GB or higher in size. We recommend that you have 8 GB or higher of RAM on your device. To learn more, see Set up a Dev Drive on Windows 11 (Public Preview) .

New! This update adds Dynamic Lighting. It gives you control of lighting devices that implement the open HID LampArray standard. These devices can create millions of color combinations using red, green, and blue (RGB). This update includes APIs for Windows apps to control background and foreground devices. To change how your devices behave, go to Settings > Personalization > Dynamic Lighting . Some of the things you can do using Dynamic Lighting include:

You can instantly sync your Windows accent color with the devices around it. Use the “Match my Windows accent color” toggle under “Effects.”

You can choose a custom color to light up your devices.

For a list of the compatible in-market devices, see Dynamic lighting devices . You must use the latest firmware with these devices.

New! The update adds Adaptive Dimming. This works for PCs that have presence sensors that support attention detection. Now your device can dim your screen when you look away and undim it when you look back. To turn it on, go to Settings > Privacy & security > Presence sensing . You can also turn on Presence Sensing when you are setting up a new device. It is an option for your privacy settings.

New! The “For Developers” settings page is now in Settings > System . It is no longer in Settings > Privacy & security .

New! This update adds two new energy recommendations in Settings > System > Power & battery > Energy recommendations . One turns on dark mode. The second adjusts the refresh rate.

New! You can now stop Windows from communicating with your mobile devices. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Phone Link . There you will find an option to turn off Phone Link.

New! You can now join Bluetooth Personal Area networks. This option is for paired devices, like phones, that share an internet connection over Bluetooth. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices .

New! This update adds a new cellular toggle. It makes it easier to control whether to use cellular when Wi-Fi is available, but it is poor. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Cellular .

New! You have more options on the Data Usage page. They support daily and weekly data limits. Also, the page shows how far the data limit has been exceeded.

New! You can quickly get to Settings to uninstall an app from a context menu. Right-click a Win32 app on the Start menu or search for the app and choose “Uninstall.”

New! This update improves the design of the Settings page for wheel devices, like the Surface Dial.

New! This update changes the design of a few lists to be more consistent with other Settings pages. The lists are for Settings > Apps > Startup Apps and Settings > Apps > Advanced App Settings > App Execution Alias . The new design also makes it easier to view more information about the apps you have.

New! You can now get to advanced properties for network adapters and internet properties from Settings. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings .

New! You can now view Wi-Fi passwords for your known networks in Settings. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi and “Manage known networks.”

New! This update improves your experience when you change time zones. This change considers scenarios in which the location data might not be accurate. A notification appears that prompts you to confirm the time zone before Windows adjusts it for you.

New! This update also improves your experience when you change the time zone in Settings > Time & language > Date & time . If location settings are turned off, a warning appears. It tells you to turn on location settings to ensure accurate time zone adjustments. This warning helps you to understand why a time zone might not be correct so you can address the issue.

New! This update improves the design of the Task Manager dialogs and its Settings page. It now matches the look and feel of other Settings pages. The new design also separates categories into different sections for a cleaner UI.

New! Windows now detects camera streaming issues. If your camera does not start or its shutter is closed, a notification appears. It recommends that you open the automated Get Help troubleshooter to address the issue.

New! The network flyout box on the Lock screen now aligns with Windows 11 design principles.

New! This update changes the design of the firewall notification dialogs for Windows Security. They now match the look of Windows 11.

This update addresses an error on the Settings home page that occurs when you sign in. Because of this, you cannot view your account information on that home page.

Windows 365 Switch

New! Using Windows 365 Switch , you can sign in to and connect your Windows 365 Cloud PC to your local desktop. Then you can move between them using familiar keyboard commands, mouse clicks, or a swipe gesture. For easy access from your desktop, you can add Windows 365 Switch to Task view.

 Improvements

Important:  Use EKB  KB5027397  to update to Windows 11, version 23H2.

This security update includes quality improvements. Key changes include: 

This build includes all the improvements in Windows 11, version 22H2.

No additional issues are documented for this release.

This security update includes improvements that were a part of update KB5031455  (released October 26, 2023). When you install this KB:  

This update makes miscellaneous security improvements to internal OS functionality. No additional issues were documented for this release.

If you installed earlier updates, only the new updates contained in this package will be downloaded and installed on your device.

For more information about security vulnerabilities, please refer to the Security Update Guide website and the November 2023 Security Updates .

Windows 11 servicing stack update - 22621.2567 and 22631.2567

This update makes quality improvements to the servicing stack, which is the component that installs Windows updates. Servicing stack updates (SSU) ensure that you have a robust and reliable servicing stack so that your devices can receive and install Microsoft updates.

Known issues in this update

How to get this update.

Before installing this update

Microsoft combines the latest servicing stack update (SSU) for your operating system with the latest cumulative update (LCU). For general information about SSUs, see Servicing stack updates  and  Servicing Stack Updates (SSU): Frequently Asked Questions . 

Install this update

If you want to remove the LCU

To remove the LCU after installing the combined SSU and LCU package, use the DISM/Remove-Package command line option with the LCU package name as the argument. You can find the package name by using this command: DISM /online /get-packages .

Running Windows Update Standalone Installer ( wusa.exe ) with the /uninstall switch on the combined package will not work because the combined package contains the SSU. You cannot remove the SSU from the system after installation.

File information

For a list of the files that are provided in this update, download the  file information for cumulative update 5032190 . 

For a list of the files that are provided in the servicing stack update, download the  file information for the SSU - versions 22621.2567 and 22631.2567 .  

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

• Mobile Site
• Staff Directory
• Advertise with Ars

Filter by topic

• Biz & IT
• Gaming & Culture

Front page layout

The big mess, live in San Francisco —

Openai employees revolt after board names new ceo; altman may head to microsoft, ilya sutskever announces regret; 700+ openai employees sign letter asking board to resign..

Benj Edwards - Updated Nov 20, 2023 3:29 pm UTC

After two days of roller-coaster negotiations at OpenAI HQ due to the surprise ouster of CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has announced that Microsoft plans to hire Altman and former OpenAI President Greg Brockman to head a "new advanced AI research team." Overnight, the OpenAI board named a new interim CEO, Emmett Shear, who acknowledged the messy process and promised to hire an investigator to generate a full report on Altman's firing.

Further Reading

But the story isn't over yet, because Monday morning, 650 of 770 OpenAI employees sent a letter to the OpenAI board demanding that all current board members resign and Altman and Brockman be reinstated, or they will likely leave to join Altman and Brockman at Microsoft. (Apparently the number of signatories to the letter is still growing ; see update below.)

"The process through which you terminated Sam Altman and removed Greg Brockman from the board has jeopardized all of this work and undermined our mission and company," the letter states. "Your conduct has made it clear you did not have the competence to oversee OpenAI."

Ilya Sutskever, whom sources identified as a key architect of Altman's firing, also appears to have had a change of heart Monday morning, tweeting , "I deeply regret my participation in the board's actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company."

Sutskever is a deep believer in the future rise of world-changing advanced AI (often called "AGI," for artificial general intelligence) that he thinks may one day replace humans at numerous jobs or even threaten life on earth if not developed safely, which is OpenAI's core mission. According to an article in The Atlantic , Sutskever became something of a guru on the topic at OpenAI, leading chants of "feel the AGI" during parties and even burning a wooden representation of an "unaligned" AI in effigy offsite.

Curiously, the undersigned in the 650-strong protest letter include both Sutskever and former interim CEO Mira Murati, whom the board voted to replace with Shear against the wishes of the company's executive staff. (Murati wanted Altman and Brockman to return to OpenAI, and the board didn't.) After Murati's removal, the letter says that the OpenAI board "informed the leadership team that allowing the company to be destroyed 'would be consistent with the mission.'"

An ongoing mess

The latest news caps a tense weekend of negotiations that saw ups and downs as insiders fed tips to the media. To briefly recap, the OpenAI board fired Altman on Friday in a surprise move that shocked OpenAI staff and investors, saying that Altman "was not consistently candid in his communications with the board." However, many reports since have pinned the firing on an internal culture clash between Altman and OpenAI Chief Scientist Sutskever, with Sutskever annoyed at Altman pushing to launch GPTs when Sutskever is concerned about a future when autonomous AI may become potentially dangerous.

On Saturday, OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap sent an internal memo saying that Altman had not been fired due to malfeasance. Under pressure from OpenAI employees and investors, the board invited Altman to return to OpenAI HQ on Sunday as a guest to negotiate, but after two days, the talks broke down early Monday morning.

Through it all, a large majority of OpenAI employees have remained loyal to Altman. Saturday morning saw hundreds of OpenAI employees posting heart emoji on X in solidarity with Altman, who tweeted , " i love the openai team so much." And Monday morning, hundreds of employees began posting the phrase "OpenAI is nothing without its people," retweeting each other in solidarity.

However, key questions remain about why the board acted as it did in firing Altman. We have not yet heard firsthand from Sutskever or the existing board directly explaining the actual thinking behind the move. And with Sutskever now regretting his actions and demanding the board's resignation (which technically includes him as well), the story has taken an even stranger turn.

In reply to a tweet by Every co-founder Dan Shipper expressing regret for the apparent breakup of OpenAI, former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer wrote , "I’m sad too - the crazy governance model allowed this to happen. The fact that Ilya now regrets just shows how broken and underadvised they are/were. They call them board deliberations because you are supposed to be deliberate."

reader comments

Channel ars technica.