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How to Make a Sticker on iPhone From a Photo

Nov 9, 2026Sticker World

Turn an iPhone photo or Live Photo into a sticker in Messages, troubleshoot a missing Add Sticker option, or make a reusable PNG in Safari.

To make a sticker on iPhone, open a picture in Photos, touch and hold the subject, then tap Add Sticker. That saves the cutout to your iPhone's stickers menu. If you need a PNG file for another app, use the Safari method below. Apple's Photos guide

Make a sticker in Photos

  1. Open a photo full screen in Photos. Start with a clear shot where the subject stands apart from the background.
  2. Press and hold the person, pet, or object you want to lift. When the outline appears, let go and choose Add Sticker from the menu.
  3. If you want a visible border, tap Add Effect and pick Outline. Use a Live Photo as your source when you want a sticker that moves.

Open a conversation in Messages and tap +, then Stickers. Open your Live Stickers collection and tap the sticker to send it in the conversation, or drag it directly onto a message bubble. Apple's Messages guide

If Add Sticker doesn't appear

The feature was introduced in iOS 17. Check your version in Settings → General → About if you're using an older iPhone. If you have the feature but the subject won't lift, open the photo full screen and hold the middle of the subject. Try a different shot where it has a clear edge and doesn't overlap another person or object. Apple's iOS 17 release notes

Save a sticker as a PNG in Safari

Add Sticker puts the cutout in Apple's sticker collection. A separate PNG is handy for a design app, a digital planner, or a print layout.

  1. Open Sticker Maker in Safari and tap Upload an image. Choose a PNG, JPG, or WebP. If your file is HEIC, convert it to a supported format first.
  2. Adjust White border. If the photo has a plain background, try Remove solid background. For a detailed scene, start with an image whose subject is already cut out.
  3. Tap Download PNG. Look in Safari's downloads or the Downloads folder in Files. Apple's guide to finding downloads

Once you have the file, you can use it as a digital sticker or lay it out for printing.