How to Delete Stickers on iPhone: Full Guide

To delete stickers on an iPhone, you remove them from the Messages app sticker drawer or from the app itself, depending on the sticker type. This guide covers all the ways to delete stickers you’ve added, downloaded, or created, including iMessage apps and the new sticker features in iOS 17 and later.

What Counts as a Sticker on iPhone

Stickers on iPhone fall into a few categories, and the deletion method depends on which kind you have:

• iMessage app stickers – These come from third-party sticker packs installed from the App Store (like Bitmoji or Giphy). They appear in the app drawer below the text field in Messages.
• Live Stickers – Introduced in iOS 17, these are made from your own photos by lifting the subject from the background. They appear in the sticker drawer and can be used in Messages, Markup, and other apps.
• Memoji stickers – These are generated from your Memoji and appear in the sticker section of the emoji keyboard. You can delete individual Memoji stickers, but the Memoji itself is managed separately.
• Stickers added to photos or documents – When you add a sticker to an image or PDF in Markup, it becomes part of that file. To remove it, you edit that specific file.

Knowing which type you have is the first step, because the deletion process is different for each.

How to Delete iMessage App Stickers

If you’ve downloaded a sticker pack from the App Store and want to remove it entirely from your iPhone, you delete the app itself. Here’s how:

1. Open the Messages app and start a conversation.
2. Tap the App Store icon (the blue “A” icon) next to the text field.
3. Swipe left on the row of apps at the bottom until you see More (three dots) and tap it.
4. Tap Edit in the top-left corner.
5. Tap the red minus button next to the sticker app you want to remove.
6. Tap Delete to remove it from the drawer. This deletes the app from your iPhone.

Note that this method removes the entire sticker pack, not just one sticker. If you only want to hide the app from the drawer but keep it installed, you can toggle off the switch in the Edit screen instead of tapping Delete.

How to Delete Live Stickers (iOS 17 and Later)

Live Stickers are created from your photos. To delete them:

1. Open Messages and tap the plus (+) button next to the text field.
2. Tap Stickers in the menu that appears.
3. Tap the Live Stickers tab at the top (it may be labeled with a clock icon).
4. Tap and hold the sticker you want to delete.
5. Tap Delete from the pop-up menu, then confirm if asked.

You can also delete Live Stickers from the sticker drawer in the emoji keyboard. Open the keyboard in any app, tap the sticker icon (a folded square), then long-press the sticker and choose Delete.

How to Delete Memoji Stickers

Memoji stickers are tied to your Memoji. To delete a specific Memoji sticker (like the “thumbs up” or “heart” variant):

1. Open Messages and go to a conversation.
2. Tap the Animoji/Memoji icon (the monkey face) in the app drawer.
3. Swipe through the stickers on the left side.
4. Tap and hold the sticker you want to remove.
5. Tap Delete from the menu.

If you want to delete the entire Memoji character, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Memoji and swipe left on the Memoji you want to remove, then tap Delete. This removes all stickers associated with that Memoji.

How to Remove Stickers from Photos and Documents

When you add a sticker to a photo or PDF using Markup, it becomes a permanent part of that image unless you undo it. To remove it:

1. Open the photo or document in the app where you added the sticker (e.g., Photos, Notes, Files).
2. Tap Edit (or the Markup icon if you’re in a note).
3. Tap the sticker to select it.
4. Tap Delete (the trash icon) or just drag it off the screen.

If you’ve already saved the image, you may need to re-edit the original. There’s no way to remove a sticker from a flattened image without using a third-party editing tool.

Common Problems and Misconceptions

Many users try to delete a sticker by tapping and holding it in the sticker drawer, but that only works for Live Stickers and Memoji stickers. For iMessage app stickers, long-pressing gives you options like “Remove” or “Hide,” but it doesn’t delete the app. Another common issue is that deleting a sticker pack from the App Store doesn’t remove stickers already placed in conversations – those remain as images.

Also, if you’re using a third-party keyboard like Gboard, stickers from that keyboard are managed within that app, not in the Messages app. You’ll need to open the keyboard’s settings or the app itself to delete them.

Comparison: Deleting Stickers vs. Hiding Them

Deleting a sticker pack removes it from your iPhone entirely. Hiding it just removes it from the Messages app drawer, but the app stays installed and can be re-enabled later. This is useful if you want to keep the app but reduce clutter. For Live Stickers, there’s no “hide” option – you can only delete them. Memoji stickers can be hidden by deleting the Memoji itself, but that also removes the Memoji from your contacts and other places.

Safety and Privacy Considerations

When you delete a sticker pack, the app is removed, but any stickers you’ve sent in conversations remain in those message threads. If you’re concerned about privacy, you can delete the entire conversation or use the “Clear” option in Messages. Also, be aware that some sticker apps may collect data. Deleting them doesn’t erase data already collected by the app developer – you’d need to contact the developer or manage your data through the app’s settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t I delete a sticker from my iPhone?

Most likely you’re trying to delete an iMessage app sticker by long-pressing it in the drawer. That only hides it. To actually delete it, you need to remove the entire app via the Edit menu in the app drawer, or delete the app from your home screen.

How do I delete stickers from my iPhone keyboard?

Stickers that appear in the emoji keyboard are either Live Stickers or Memoji stickers. Long-press the sticker and choose Delete. If they’re from a third-party keyboard, open that keyboard’s settings to manage them.

Will deleting a sticker pack delete stickers I’ve already sent?

No. Stickers you’ve sent in messages are images that are already delivered. Deleting the app doesn’t remove them from your conversation history or the recipient’s device.

Can I delete individual stickers from a sticker pack?

No. iMessage sticker packs are apps, and you can only delete the entire pack. You cannot remove a single sticker from within the pack unless the app itself offers that option.

How do I delete stickers from my iPhone photos?

If you added a sticker using Markup, open the photo, tap Edit, then tap the sticker and delete it. If the sticker is already saved as part of the image (flattened), you’ll need to use a photo editing app to remove it.

Does iOS 18 change how stickers are deleted?

As of iOS 18, the sticker deletion methods remain the same as iOS 17. Apple hasn’t introduced a new centralized sticker manager, so you still delete by type as described above.

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