Slack is a business chat app for productive collaboration with colleagues. Get off to a flying start with this beginner’s guide.
Slack beginner’s guide
In a few years, Slack has become one of the most popular home working apps. With the app you can consult with each other remotely, share files, provide feedback to others and even make video calls. You can also expand Slack with other useful business apps, such as Google Drive. Through this beginner’s guide, we help the novice Slack user get started.
1. Set profile 
Your Slack profile is probably created by your employer. You can use the chat app via the separate app from the Mac App Store, but you can also chat via the browser. Have you signed up successfully? Then it is time to prepare your profile.
To do this, tap on your name at the top and choose ‘View profile’. Then tap on ‘Edit Profile’. Here you can enter your full name and ‘Display name’, among other things. This is the name that colleagues see next to your messages.
You can also fill in your role within the company, telephone number and time zone. The latter option is especially useful when working with people from all over the world. This way they can see what time it is currently with you. Slack unfortunately doesn’t speak Dutch (yet).
2. This is how the menu works
Now that your profile is neatly laid out, it’s time to discover Slack. Let’s start with the menu, which you will find on the desktop at the top left of the screen. In practice you rarely use this, but a brief explanation of the most important parts is useful.
Threads are conversations between you and colleagues that are not relevant to all participants of a channel (group conversation). Did your colleague ask you a question specifically? Then you can find it via the heading ‘Mentions & reactions’. ‘People’ shows a list of all employees and via ‘Apps’ you add other applications to Slack, such as Google Drive. Speaking of files, in ‘Files’ you see all the documents and photos that you have shared with others.
3. Create group conversations
On the left side you will find so-called ‘Channels’, or theme channels. Channels are group conversations about a particular topic and are an important part of Slack.
To the editorial office of iPhone for example, we have a channel for discussing article topics with the editorial team and a channel in which all employees of the company are present. For more lighthearted topics, we have the channel #coffee machine. Here it is mainly about cows and calves.
You create a new channel by tapping the plus sign next to Channels. Then choose ‘Create a channel’ and indicate what the channel should be about. Then add the colleagues you need and confirm the creation of the channel. From that moment on you will see the channel pop up under Channels and you can talk to each other.
4. Instant chat and link apps
Direct messages are direct conversations between you and others, as you are used to from WhatsApp. You start a direct conversation by tapping the plus sign next to ‘Direct messages’ and selecting a colleague. You also start group conversations this way, but then you tick several people instead of one.
Group conversations are different from Channels because the topic is not central, but the colleagues. This option is ideal, for example, if your department is divided into smaller teams and you want to consult with direct colleagues. You can reach the larger department via the general channel (channel).
Under the heading ‘Apps’ you will see an overview of linked programs that make Slack even more useful. For example, you can directly send documents to each other via the link with Google Drive. You can also stay up to date with all activities in the Apps section, such as when someone has shared a Drive document with you.
5. Use Slack on all your devices
Slack is available on almost all platforms. There are also apps for Android and iOS, so that you can even consult with colleagues on the go. Everything is automatically synchronized. So you can simply share a sheet with colleagues from the train, or send a message. Slack has separate apps for macOS and iOS.
6. Link apps
Slack is incredibly versatile thanks to the app links. You can expand the application with other useful programs, such as Google Drive. To do this, go to Apps in the menu and tap and choose which apps you want to link. After adding an app to Slack, you need to log in to the relevant service. Then the apps automatically work together.
You can then share your work calendar directly via Google Calendar, send nice pictures with Giphy or collaborate on files via Drive. Is your company using the free version of Slack? Then there is a maximum to the number of apps that you can link. Some apps also work extra efficiently thanks to keyboard shortcuts. For example, you send a gif with the link / giphy, followed by what you want to share, such as “cats”.
7. Video calling with Slack
You now prefer to hold meetings remotely. Fortunately, it is very simple to make video calls with Slack. To do this, go to a direct conversation with a colleague and tap the bell sign at the top of the screen. You then give permission to Slack to use your microphone and camera, and you can start video calling.
It is also possible to share your screen, so that colleagues can give feedback on your idea, for example. They can even temporarily take over your screen to clarify the point. Is your company already using a digital meeting program? No problem! Via the Apps heading you can add other video calling apps to Slack, including Skype and Zoom.
Also relevant: The 3 best video calling apps for group calls
8. Make your own emoji
Every company has its own culture, jokes and habits. Emojis, for example, ensure that working from home remains fun. In addition to the standard range of images, you can also create your own emoji, based on colleagues, for example. These pictures make business conversations a lot more fun. Do you also want to make your own emoji? Then follow these directions:
- Open a group conversation or direct conversation with someone;
- Tap the ‘Add Emoji’ button;
- Upload your homemade pictures and give it an appropriate name
- Select ‘Save’ and then you will find the image in the emoji selection.
More tips for working well at home
Looking for more useful tips and apps to improve home working? Check our overview:
- Microsoft Teams: 9 tips for novice users
- The 5 best video calling apps for group calls on your iPhone or Mac
- House party app: 5 tips for an online house party with your friends
- Google Hangouts: 7 tips for novice users
- Working from home: 4 project management apps for working remotely