If jazz starts playing while you're waiting in a Slack huddle, you haven't accidentally joined somebody's playlist. Slack has put music into the call itself.
Its May 2026 update included a Miles Davis theme for his 100th birthday, complete with music and visual touches. August brought more animated huddle reactions. None of this gets the meeting finished sooner. It might make the waiting less grim.
The controls are a little less obvious than the microphone button. Here's where to look, and which bits you can switch off.
Find the music and themes
On desktop, open the huddle's menu: the three dots in the small huddle window in your sidebar, or the cog if you've expanded the huddle. Play music lives there. The theme option only shows up in the expanded window, and Slack describes it as choosing a theme for all participants. So it isn't a private change on your own screen. Slack's huddle guide.
That distinction matters. A theme changes the setting of the call for everyone. Your camera background changes what appears behind you. Pick the latter if you only meant to hide the laundry.
Slack's Miles Davis announcement says “So What” plays when a huddle is on hold. Slack hasn't said how long that theme will stay, and the themes offered in your workspace can differ, so don't spend the whole call hunting for an option that isn't there. If yours plays something else, the controls below are the same. This was a May release, not something that appeared for the first time this October. Slack's May feature drop.
A quick look before a team social is sensible. Doing it for the first time while somebody's explaining the quarterly figures is a different sort of experiment.
Reactions, effects and the sticker that stays put
The emoji button in a huddle opens tabs for Reactions, Effects, Stickers and GIFs, on desktop and mobile. Reactions, effects and GIFs show to everyone for a moment, then go. Stickers stay until you remove them. A “Be right back” sticker is useful for a short interruption without having to talk over someone. GIFs only work if they're allowed in your Slack in the first place. Slack's huddle controls.
Since the August update, repeated reactions can build into an animation. Colleagues using the same emoji can join in. It's the sort of thing you can picture derailing a Friday afternoon call in about four seconds. August release notes.
For a celebration, fair enough. For a detailed screen-sharing session, ask before turning the conversation into a fireworks display. The feature being built in doesn't make it useful every time.
Turn the noise and animations off
On desktop, open your profile picture, choose Preferences, then Audio & video. Under When joining a huddle you'll find Show reaction animations and Play music when you're the last one in a huddle. Clear the relevant box if you'd rather wait in peace.
On iOS, tap your profile picture, then Preferences, then Huddles under Audio, video & images. The Play music when alone in a huddle switch lives there. Slack's current help says managing huddle music isn't supported on Android. Don't assume an iPhone instruction will have an Android equivalent. Huddle preferences.
These are different annoyances with different controls. An incoming huddle sound is a notification; music while you're alone is part of the waiting experience. Turning one off doesn't mean you've dealt with the other.
If interruptions elsewhere in Slack are the bigger problem, our guide to Away and Do Not Disturb explains those settings. For the less practical side of office communication, there are Slack status ideas too.
Common questions
Can I turn off the music without leaving the huddle?
Use the huddle music preference on a supported device. On desktop, it's under Audio & video. Leaving the call isn't the only way to get some quiet.
Is a huddle sticker my Slack profile status?
No. Treat it as a signal inside that call. A profile status serves a different audience, including people who aren't in the huddle.
Does everyone have the same effects?
Don't assume so. Workspace settings and the client you're using can affect what appears. Use the options in your actual huddle rather than an old screenshot from a tutorial.
Should I keep a huddle open just for the music?
You can enjoy the feature without turning an empty call into your working routine. For quieter ways to organise the day, try our Slack habits for remote work.
Green Dotter is independent software and isn't affiliated with Slack Technologies, LLC or Salesforce.