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Make Your Meshtastic Experience Stand Out with Emojis! 🖍️

· 5 min read
Crichton
Crichton
Lead: Community Outreach & Development

Emojis can add a whole new level of personalization and fun to your Meshtastic devices! From customizing Short Names to make your nodes stand out, to marking waypoints on the map, and even displaying expressive messages on OLED screens, emojis offer countless ways to make your Meshtastic setup uniquely yours. Whether you’re adding a practical touch or just having fun, there’s something for everyone in the world of Meshtastic emojis.

Personalize Your Short Name 🎨​

You can personalize your Meshtastic devices with emojis, making them stand out in a unique and fun way! By default, the Short Name for your device is auto-generated using the last four characters of its MAC address. However, you can customize this Short Name to make it truly yours. Using emojis adds a visually distinctive touch, making it easier to identify your node at a glance!

How It Works 🛠️​

Your Meshtastic device’s Short Name is limited to 4 bytes. Many emojis are a great fit because they use only 1–4 bytes; however, some—such as certain flags or more intricate emojis—exceed the 4-byte limit and won’t work.

Thankfully, most Meshtastic client apps include validation to ensure you don’t accidentally use an emoji that exceeds the 4-byte limit. However, not all clients enforce this restriction directly. Regardless, the protocol enforces a strict 5-byte limit (1 byte for overhead, leaving 4 bytes for the emoji itself). If you attempt to set a larger emoji, either the client app or the firmware will prevent it from being saved.

To customize the Short Name, refer to the User Config documentation for instructions on where to make the change for your preferred client.

Once you’ve saved the changes, your device will appear with your custom emoji Short Name in the client applications.

Father_Nodes_Best Example

Why Use Emojis as Your Short Name? ✨​

Customizing your Short Name with emojis isn’t just a quirky feature—it’s a creative way to express the purpose or personality of your device. For instance:

  • If your node’s Long Name is “Crichton’s Car”, you could set the Short Name to 🚗.
  • Using a node to monitor weather conditions? 🌤️ could be a great choice.
  • Setting up a device for a hiking trip? Try 🥾 or 🌲.

This adds both customization and a unique identity, making it easier for others to recognize your device in the network. For example, each emoji can convey the purpose or personality of the node, adding a touch of creativity to your setup.

Nodesferatu Example

Get Creative! 🖌️​

The possibilities are endless. You can pick emojis based on:

  • Purpose: 📡 for a relay node, 🏠 for a home base station, or 🛶 for boating adventures.
  • Travel: 🛫 for air travel, ⛴️ for a cruise, or 🚂 for train adventures.
  • Personality: 😎 for a cool vibe, 💡 for an innovative setup, or 🧙 for something magical.

The nodes list becomes much more visually engaging and easier to navigate when each node is represented by a unique emoji. It’s a fun and functional way to distinguish between devices at a glance.

Nodes List

Emoji Short Names and Waypoints on the Map 🗺️​

The fun doesn’t stop at the nodes list! On the Mesh Map, nodes with emoji Short Names stand out, making it easy to quickly identify them at a glance. For nodes without emojis, the alphanumeric Short Name will be displayed instead. Check out the example below to see how emoji Short Names add a visual pop to the map:

Mesh Map with Emoji Short Names

In addition to Short Names, waypoints also use emojis, subject to the same 4-byte limit. Waypoints are a great way to mark specific locations on the map, like trailheads, campsites, or meeting points. By assigning an emoji to your waypoint, it becomes both functional and fun to use. For example:

  • 🌄 for a hill or sunrise spot.
  • 🏞️ for a scenic view.
  • 🍔 for a planned lunch spot.

Waypoints are another creative way to make the map uniquely yours, enhancing both usability and personality. Just remember to choose emojis that fit within the 4-byte limit!

Emoji Graphics on OLED Screens 📟​

In addition to displaying emoji Short Names and waypoints on the map, some emojis have XBM graphics support in the firmware and will display directly on Meshtastic devices with OLED screens. This feature adds a unique and expressive way to communicate with nodes.

The following emojis are supported and will display on the OLED screen when sent to a node:

👍 👎 ❓ ‼️ 💩 🤣 👋 🤠 🐭 ☀️ ☔ ☁️ 🌫️ 😈 ♥️
Here's an example of how one is displayed on the OLED:

OLED Example

These icons are perfect for quick and fun interactions, such as confirming receipt of a message, signaling a question, or just having some lighthearted fun with your network.

Share Your Emoji Creations! 💬​

We’d love to see how you’ve embraced emojis in your Meshtastic setup! Whether you’re using emojis in your Short Name like 🚗 or 🏠 to make your nodes stand out, adding waypoints such as 🌄 or 🍔 to mark important spots on the map, or sending fun OLED messages like 👍 or 🤣, there are countless ways to get creative.

Share your unique setups, use cases, and ideas in the comments below. From practical applications to playful touches, we can’t wait to see how you’re making Meshtastic even more expressive and fun! 🌟

Note: While emojis can add a creative touch, not all emojis mentioned in this blog post are guaranteed to be compatible with the 4-byte limitation enforced by the Meshtastic firmware.