How to Use Stickers in Messages on iOS 17

This guide walks you through using stickers in the Messages app on iOS 17. You’ll learn how to add stickers from the App Drawer, create custom stickers from your photos, and even use emoji as stickers. By the end, you’ll be able to react, decorate, and personalize your conversations with ease.

What You’ll Need

• An iPhone or iPad running iOS 17 or later (or iPadOS 17).
• Stickers already available in your sticker packs (they come pre-installed with iOS, or you can download sticker packs from the App Store).
• For creating custom stickers: a photo in your library, or a live photo (optional).

Step-by-Step

1. Open Messages and start a conversation. Tap the Messages app (green icon with a white speech bubble) and select an existing conversation or tap the compose button (top right) to start a new one.
2. Access the App Drawer. In the text input field, tap the “+� button (located to the left of the text field) to open the App Drawer. This is where all your apps, including stickers, live.
3. Find the Stickers section. In the App Drawer, you’ll see a row of icons at the bottom. Look for the “Stickers� icon (it looks like a square with a folded corner, or a smiley face). Tap it to see all your sticker packs.
4. Browse and select a sticker. You’ll see a grid of stickers from your installed packs. Tap on any sticker to send it directly into the message. It will appear in the text field, ready to send. Tap the send button (blue arrow) to deliver it.
5. Place a sticker on a bubble or photo. Instead of sending a sticker as a separate message, you can drag it onto a message bubble (yours or someone else’s) or onto a photo. Press and hold the sticker, then drag it to the desired spot on the bubble or image. Release to drop it. This is a fun way to react or annotate.
6. Create a custom sticker from a photo. To make your own sticker, first ensure you have a photo with a clear subject. In the App Drawer, tap the “+� button again, then tap “Stickers� (if you’re not already there). Now tap the “+� icon in the top-left corner of the Stickers panel. This opens your photo library.
7. Choose a photo and tap “Add Sticker.� Select a photo. iOS will automatically detect the subject (if it’s a person, pet, or object) and lift it from the background. You’ll see a preview. Tap “Add Sticker� to save it to your sticker collection.
8. Use your custom sticker. Your new sticker will appear in the Stickers panel. Tap it to send, or drag it onto a bubble as described in step 5.
9. Use emoji as stickers. You can also turn any emoji into a sticker. In the Stickers panel, tap the “Emoji� tab (the smiley face icon). Browse or search for an emoji, then tap it to send it as a sticker. You can also drag it onto a bubble.
10. Rearrange or delete stickers. To manage your stickers, tap and hold a sticker in the Stickers panel until a menu appears. You can choose “Delete� to remove it, or “Rearrange� to enter edit mode where you can drag stickers to reorder them.

Common Mistakes

• Tapping the “+� button but not seeing Stickers. Make sure you’ve scrolled through the bottom row of the App Drawer. The Stickers icon might be on the second page (swipe left on the bottom row).
• Dragging a sticker but it snaps back. You must drag the sticker onto a message bubble or a photo. If you drop it on empty space in the conversation, it will just send as a regular sticker message.
• Custom sticker not lifting the subject correctly. The subject detection works best with high-contrast backgrounds and a clear outline. If it fails, try a different photo or use a photo with a simpler background.
• Sending a sticker as a separate message when you meant to react. If you tap a sticker, it sends as a message. To react, you must drag it onto a bubble.

Tips

• Combine stickers with effects. After dragging a sticker onto a bubble, you can still add a Tapback (heart, thumbs up, etc.) by double-tapping the bubble.
• Layer stickers. You can place multiple stickers on the same bubble or photo. Just drag them one at a time.
• Use Live Text to create stickers from text. In iOS 17, you can also create a sticker from a photo that contains text (like a sign) – the text becomes the sticker.
• Organize your stickers. In the Stickers panel, tap “Edit� (if available) to hide or show specific packs, or to delete custom stickers.
• Stickers work in other apps too. You can also use stickers in third-party apps that support the Messages App Store, like WhatsApp or Telegram (though the method may differ).

Troubleshooting

• If stickers don’t appear in the App Drawer: Restart your iPhone (press and hold the power button and volume up, then slide to power off). If that doesn’t work, go to Settings > Messages > Stickers and make sure “Stickers� is toggled on.
• If a custom sticker fails to create: Make sure the photo is not a screenshot with a busy background. Try a photo with a single subject and clear edges. Also, ensure you have enough storage space (Settings > General > iPhone Storage).
• If dragging a sticker doesn’t work: Try a different sticker or a different bubble. Sometimes the target area is small. Also, make sure you’re pressing and holding until the sticker lifts (you’ll feel a slight haptic).
• If stickers are not sending: Check your internet connection (Wi-Fi or cellular). If you’re in a group chat, some members may have disabled stickers in their settings, but that shouldn’t affect your sending.
• If you accidentally deleted a built-in sticker pack: You can re-download it from the App Store (search for the pack name, e.g., “Animoji� or “Memoji�).

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use stickers in iMessage with Android users?
A: No. Stickers are an iMessage feature and only work between Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac). When you send a sticker to an Android user via SMS, it may appear as a small image or not at all.

Q: Do stickers count against my message limit?
A: Stickers sent as messages (by tapping) use data like any other message. Dragging a sticker onto a bubble also sends data, but it’s minimal. If you have a limited SMS plan, stickers sent over iMessage use data, not SMS.

Q: Can I create a sticker from a live photo?
A: Yes. When you select a live photo, iOS will create an animated sticker that moves when you tap it in the sticker panel. You can also choose a still frame by tapping “Live� and selecting a different frame.

Q: How do I delete a custom sticker?
A: In the Stickers panel, press and hold the sticker until a menu appears. Tap “Delete.� You can also tap “Edit� in the top-right corner, then tap the minus sign on the sticker.

Q: Can I use stickers in other apps like Mail or Notes?
A: Stickers are primarily for iMessage. However, you can copy a sticker (tap and hold, then “Copy�) and paste it into other apps that support images, like Notes or Mail.

Q: Why don’t I see the “+� button in Messages?
A: The “+� button appears next to the text field. If it’s missing, you might be in a conversation with a business that uses a different interface, or you have “Show App Drawer� disabled in Settings > Messages > App Drawer.

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