How to Use Custom Emojis Without Nitro on Discord

Nitro only blocks you from typing another server’s emoji in chat. It never blocks you from adding that emoji to a server you control — and once it lives there, you and everyone in the server can use it free, with no subscription.

Why Nitro isn’t actually required

Every custom emoji is free to use inside the server it was uploaded to. Nitro only unlocks one extra thing: using emojis from other servers in your messages. So the free workaround is simple — instead of paying to borrow an emoji from somewhere else, you copy it into your own server once. After that it behaves like any normal server emoji: free for every member, Nitro or not.

You only need the Manage Expressions permission (formerly “Manage Emojis & Stickers”) in the destination server. That is usually your own server or one where you are an admin. You do not need to be a member of the server the emoji came from.

What you need

A server where you can manage emojis (your own works perfectly).
The mimBo’s Emoji & Sticker bot added to that server.
The emoji’s ID — a short number you can grab in seconds (next step).

Step 1: Get the emoji’s ID (no Nitro needed)

On desktop, find any message where the emoji appears, right-click the emoji, and choose Copy Link. You’ll get a URL like:

https://cdn.discordapp.com/emojis/1089765432101234567.png

The long number is the emoji ID. If the link ends in .gif instead of .png, the emoji is animated — remember that for the next step. On mobile, tap and hold the emoji and choose Copy Media Link instead.

Copy Link works whether or not you have Nitro, and whether or not you can type the emoji yourself. That’s why it beats the old “backslash trick,” which needs you to send the emoji first.

Step 2: Add it with one command

In your server, run:

/steal-no-nitro id:1089765432101234567 name:coolemoji

Set name to whatever you want to type it as (2–32 characters, letters, numbers and underscores). If the emoji was animated, add animated:true. The bot uploads it to your server instantly.

Step 3: Use it free, forever

That’s it. Type :coolemoji: in the server and it appears — for you and every other member, no Nitro required, no expiry. Repeat for as many emojis as your server has slots (50 free per server, more as the server gains boosts).

Add the bot and copy any emoji into your server in under a minute — no Nitro, ever.

Add the Emoji & Sticker bot →

Frequently asked questions

Do I really not need Nitro?

Correct. You never pay. The only requirement is the Manage Expressions permission in the server you’re adding the emoji to, which you already have on your own server.

Is this against Discord’s Terms of Service?

No. Uploading an emoji to a server you manage is a standard, built-in Discord feature. The bot just does it from an ID so you don’t need Nitro to grab the emoji first.

Can my members without Nitro use the emoji too?

Yes. Once an emoji lives in a server, every member of that server can use it for free, Nitro or not. That’s the whole point.

How many emojis can I add?

Each server has 50 free standard emoji slots and 50 animated slots, and both limits grow as the server reaches Boost levels.