For most users, Slack is a messaging service ideal for remote work. However, its features are primarily built for software engineering, which demands challenging collaborations that are difficult to accomplish via email and meetings. Slack makes this type of work easy. The growing number of Slack channels for software engineering advice and support is no surprise since Slack was designed by software engineers.
If you are a software engineer and have never used Slack before, read our guide and find out how to get started. Even if you are familiar with Slack, there is still plenty for you to learn as we delve into where to find Slack channels for software engineering support, what the best channels for software engineers are, and how to use these channels to your advantage.
Why Should You Join a Software Engineers Slack Channel?
Slack is the ideal platform for software engineers to collaborate on projects. So, if you’re a software engineer, or planning to become a software engineer, then Slack is for you. Just like a software engineering team, Slack’s features are complex, highly iterative, collaborative, distributed, open, and increasingly automated.
Slack allows you to move in sprints and cycles, stay in touch with collaborators, work with talents in different time zones, share ideas, and use several tools and cloud services. This helps engineers coordinate massive code bases, reduce development time, and boost quality. When it’s time to code, Slack ensures everyone is on the same page.
On top of project collaborations, Slack channels also allow you access to different resources. There are channels for asking questions, career advice, job opportunities, and sharing ideas. It’s no surprise that Slack’s customer growth has accelerated in recent years.
Where to Find Software Engineering Support: Best Slack Channels for Software Engineers
| Channel Name | Number of Members | What’s There |
| PySlackers | 38,000+ | Includes sharing information and resources, getting help, networking, and project collaboration |
| iOS Developers | 30,000+ | Includes announcements, getting help, meta, off-topic chats, sharing projects, and swift-lang |
| DevOps Chat | 22,000+ | Include AWS, ideas, jobs, networking, nix, azure, battlestations, puppet, service statuses, security, and questions |
| DevChat | 19,000+ | Include announcements, resources sharing, jobs, javascript, web development, offtopic, and Python |
| Ruby on Rails Link | 16,000+ | Includes announcements, coding, work-offers, front end, sharing, random, beginners and mentors, testing, and work career chat |
| Android United | 12,000+ | Includes community, design UI views, libs, news-links, hire, events and conferences, general, architecture, build systems, and testing chats |
| WeLearnJS | 11,000+ | Includes getting started, code talk, jobs, chat room, react talk, projects, angular-talk, server side-talk, and vuejs talk |
| TechMasters | 7,000+ | Includes technology, business, programming, jobs, events, fstoco, DevOps, funny, and career |
| FEDs on Slack | 7,000+ | Include CSS, Angular, general development topics, and an offtopic channel |
| Microsoft Developer Chat | 3,000+ | Includes random, csharp, aspnet, jobs, azure, powershell, typescript, windows10 |
The 10 Best Slack Channels for Software Engineers: A Closer Look
PySlackers
PySlackers is the biggest community of developers on our list. Whether you are a beginner or a professional Python developer, you are welcome to this community. The members of this community mostly share information and resources, collaborate on community projects, and build networks. You’ll also find a dedicated channel where you can get help with Python-related issues.
iOS Developers
iOS Developers is an active community for developers working with iOS, Apple’s mobile operating system. This community values being open, helping each other, and sharing knowledge.
DevOpsChat
If you want a more technical community, then DevOpsChat is for you. This is where DevOps professionals and developers gather to discuss topics like AWS, Chef, Docker, and Puppet. There is also a dedicated channel where IT bloggers can have their articles reviewed before publishing them.
DevChat
DevChat is aimed at users of all levels. It is one of the most popular communities for problem solving and guidance. Members gather to share knowledge, offer opinions, and pose inquiries. It is an active channel with very responsive members. The channels cover a wide array of topics, from general questions to major languages to machine learning.
Ruby on Rails Link
This online community is for Ruby on Rails developers. You can join the community regardless of your skill level. Members include avid OSS contributors, full stack engineers, backend engineers, startup founders, and beginners. While there is no fee to join, be prepared to fill out quite a detailed application form.
Android United
Android United is a Slack community put together for professional Android developers. If you’re a beginner, you might be better off joining Android Chat instead. It is free to join Android United, but you’ll have to fill out a brief request form via Google Doc to join. Android currently has the largest number of apps and games in the mobile operating system realm and is a booming industry.
WeLearnJS
WeLearnJS is a channel for learning JavaScript. You can get practical advice from this community’s members who are committed to supporting each other’s learning process.
The community believes that the best way to learn and become an expert in something is to learn by doing.
TechMasters
This community is home to entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts. Members of the TechMasters community discuss business, technology, programming, and startup goals. There are channels dedicated to each of these topics as well as non-business chats such as pets and photos.
FEDs on Slack
FEDs on Slack channel is where front end developers, regardless of skill level, come together to help each other. Here you can get technical assistance or join general discussions about coding and programming languages. You can even join others in developing codes. This community is private, so you’ll have to fill out an application form to join.
Microsoft Developer Chat
This channel may be small, but it brings together developers working specifically with Microsoft technologies. The goal is for these developers, whatever their skill levels may be, to share what they know and learn from others. Some of the common topics in the community are ASP.NET, C#, F#, .NET, Visual Basic, and other Microsoft-related technologies.
Software Engineering Advice: Use Slack and Other Resources to Your Advantage
The demand for software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers is expected to grow by 22 percent in the next decade. However, if you want to succeed in this career, you’ll need to hone your skills and build experiences.
While bootcamps can help you upskill and eventually become a software engineer manager, Slack channels give you the resources to continue learning and experience real-world projects. This will significantly improve your career prospects. So sign up to Slack, join some software engineer channels, and advance your career today.
Slack Channels for Software Engineers FAQ
Slack channels are spaces for conversations dedicated to a specific topic or purpose. For instance, you can create a channel for a particular project or team. This allows people to easily collaborate on a project within their team.
Slack channels can be private or public. In a public channel, anyone who is not a guest in a workspace can join and see the content. For private channels, you have to be added by an existing channel member. Files and messages in a private channel are only accessible to members.
Go to the top of your left sidebar and click More. Then select Channel Browser. You’ll see a list of public channels in your workspace. Or you can use the search bar. Just type in a channel name or description, select a channel from the list to view it, and click Join Channel.
Yes, you can make private channels in Slack. To do so, click the channel in the conversation header. Then, select Settings and scroll down. Click on Change to a Private Channel. To confirm, click Change to Private.
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