Do not insert emoticons into sent messages in Skype version 12

Question

It can be inconvenient or even unprofessional when Skype inserts emoticons into message text, for example if "subsection 13(n)" or z = f(y) are given thumbs-down and thumbs-up symbols. Several questions about this behaviour in the Win32 Skype app (most recently version 7.x) have been asked here before, with various solutions including starting messages with {code}, !! (two exclamation marks and then a space) or markdown-type formatting. See e.g. How to disable emoticons in Skype, Send preformatted text in Skype and Escape Skype Messages to Use Special Character Combinations.

The new Skype built in to recent updates of Windows 10 (I am on version 12.7.597.0) is radically different from the previous versions, for example the structure of the chat database changed and "advanced text formatting" (e.g. *bold* and _italic_) has been removed. I can't find official confirmation from Microsoft, but it seems one of these changes is that {code}, !!, @@ and other suggested solutions no longer work.

There no longer even seems to be the workaround of asking the conversation partner to turn off the display of emoticons on their end — the only IM display setting I can see is to turn off web link previews. Old IM settings on the left, new settings on the right:

I have found the issue somewhat less aggravating than before, since many short emoticon codes have been removed: starting lists with "(a)... and (b) ..." no longer gives angel and beer, and "401(k)" no longer kisses the person you are talking to. But (n) and (y) still catch me out sometimes, and there is now a very long list of words which, if mentioned parenthetically, produce an emoticon, so some way to avoid this would be welcome.

Answer 1

To trip up Skype's parser in Windows 10 (tested with Skype for Business 2016, in which the old solution of using !! or @@ no longer works), you need to insert a character it can't handle, like a very narrow whitespace character (Unicode character 8205). You can insert this by using Alt-8205.

So if, for example, you're trying to insert copyright text like (c) and want to stop Skype from turning that into a coffee mug, insert the whitespace somewhere in that sequence: (

1. Type ( (open brackets, the start of what you don't want parsed).
2. Hold down Alt and type 8205 before releasing the Alt key again (this inserts the narrow whitespace character that interrupts the parsing).
3. Type c) (the rest of your text you don't want parsed).

Both you and the recipient you're chatting to should see a c in brackets (the narrow whitespace will be almost invisible) instead of a coffee mug emoticon.

This is adapted from this Reddit thread (although the description there says to use the special character before and after the text you don't want parsed, which didn't work for me).