Published: October 07, 2025 6 min read By TechFeezy Team iPhone Tips

How to Make a Sticker on iPhone: Complete 2025 Guide

Learn how to make stickers on your iPhone using photos or Live Photos. This 2025 USA guide covers sticker effects, deletion tips, and how to use your custom stickers across all apps.

How to Make a Sticker on iPhone

Introduction

Making your own stickers on an iPhone is one of the coolest features Apple has added in iOS 17 and later. You can turn your favorite photos or Live Photos into fun, expressive stickers that work across Messages, Notes, Mail, and more. Whether you’re creating a sticker of your pet or a funny reaction from a friend, it only takes a few seconds to do.

How to Create Stickers from Photos

The easiest way to make a sticker starts in the Photos app. Find a photo with a clear subject — this could be a person, animal, or object that stands out from the background.

  1. Open Photos and choose your picture.
  2. Long-press the subject until a glowing outline appears around it.
  3. When the pop-up menu shows, tap “Add Sticker.”

Your new sticker is now saved to your iPhone’s sticker library and can be used in any supported app like Messages or Notes.

Add Effects to Your Stickers

Once you’ve created a sticker, you can give it a fun look with effects.

  1. Long-press the sticker in your sticker library.
  2. Tap Add Effect.
  3. Choose from:
    • Original – natural look
    • Outline – adds a white border
    • Comic – gives it a comic-style feel
    • Puffy – makes it look 3D
    • Shiny – adds a reflective, holographic finish

These effects move and reflect light as you tilt your iPhone, making them look dynamic and professional.

How to Make Animated Stickers from Live Photos

Animated stickers bring your pictures to life by looping short movements from Live Photos.

  1. Open the Photos app and go to Live Photos.
  2. Select a Live Photo and long-press the subject to highlight it.
  3. Tap Add Sticker.
  4. To make it move, long-press the sticker in your library again, tap Add Effect, then toggle LIVE at the top.

Now your sticker will loop automatically — perfect for fun reactions or quick animations.

Using Stickers Across Apps

Once created, your stickers work almost everywhere.

In Messages:

  • Tap the plus (+) button beside the text box.
  • Choose Stickers.
  • Tap a sticker to send it or drag it onto a message bubble.

In Other Apps (like Notes, Mail, or Photos):

  • Tap Edit > Markup > + > Add Sticker.

You can even use stickers on WhatsApp, where you can create and customize them directly in the app.

Best Third-Party Sticker Maker Apps

If you want more advanced customization, try these apps:

  • PhotoDirector – lets you make stickers using AI cutout tools.
  • Sticker Maker Studio – great for creating sticker packs for iMessage or WhatsApp.
  • Sticker.ly – specializes in animated stickers made from videos or GIFs.

These apps give you more control over cropping, borders, and animation styles.

How to Delete Stickers on iPhone

Over time, your sticker library can fill up. Here’s how to keep it clean.

Delete a Single Sticker

  1. Open Messages.
  2. Tap the plus (+) button, then choose Stickers.
  3. Long-press the sticker you want to remove.
  4. Tap Delete.

This removes the sticker across all devices linked to your Apple ID.

Delete Multiple Stickers

  1. In the sticker drawer, long-press any sticker and tap Rearrange.
  2. Tap the minus (⊖) button beside each sticker you want to remove.

Delete Stickers from Keyboard

  1. Open any app that uses the keyboard.
  2. Tap the Emoji icon.
  3. Open the Stickers tab (peeling sticker icon).
  4. Long-press a sticker and choose Delete.

Remove a Sticker from a Message (Without Deleting It)

  1. Long-press the message containing the sticker.
  2. Select Sticker Details.
  3. Swipe left on the sticker and tap Delete.

Manage Third-Party Sticker Packs

  • Long-press the app icon on your Home Screen and tap Remove App to delete it.
  • To just disable it in Messages: Go to Settings > Messages > iMessage Apps and toggle it off.

Hide Built-In Stickers

  • Open the sticker menu in Messages.
  • Tap Manage and toggle off the sticker packs you don’t want to see.

Turn Off Stickers Entirely

  • Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
  • Turn off the Stickers option.

Tips for Better Sticker Creation

  • Use well-lit, high-quality photos where the subject stands out.
  • Keep your sticker library organized by deleting unused ones regularly.
  • Watch your storage space if you make a lot of Live Photo stickers — they can take up more space than static ones.

Troubleshooting Sticker Issues

  • If iOS can’t detect your subject, try a photo with better contrast.
  • If a Live Photo sticker doesn’t animate, make sure the LIVE toggle is on.
  • If stickers aren’t syncing between devices, confirm iCloud is enabled and signed into the same Apple ID.

📱 FAQ: Making and Managing Stickers on iPhone

1. Can I make stickers from any photo on my iPhone?
Yes, as long as the photo has a clear subject that iOS can recognize.

2. Can I add text or drawings to my stickers?
Not directly in Apple’s sticker tool, but you can use third-party apps like Sticker.ly or PhotoDirector to do this.

3. Why can’t I see the “Add Sticker” option?
Make sure your iPhone is running iOS 17 or later — stickers were introduced with that update.

4. Can I make animated stickers from regular photos?
No, only Live Photos can become animated stickers.

5. If I delete a sticker, can I get it back?
You’ll need to recreate it from the original photo; once deleted, stickers can’t be restored.

6. How do I stop stickers from showing in my keyboard?
Go to Settings > General > Keyboard and switch Stickers off.