How to Add Stickers to iPhone or iPad Photos

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Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: April 9, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using the Messages Camera

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Using Snapchat

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Using Instagram Stories

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Using Facebook Messenger

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Video

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Q&A

This wikiHow teaches you how to add stickers and shapes to your photos on an iPhone or iPad. You can use the camera built into the Messages app to add stickers to new photos, or use third-party apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger to edit photos from your Camera Roll.

Adding Stickers to iOS Photos

Open the Messenger app, then open a text conversation. Open the camera, then tap the "Camera Effects" button in the bottom left. Snap your photo, then tap the "Aa" button in the bottom left to browse and add stickers.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using the Messages Camera

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1
Install a sticker pack (optional). Messages does come with built-in text stickers, but free sticker/GIF search apps like GIPHY give you options to thousands of others. Here's how to install GIPHY (or a different sticker pack, if you wish):^{[1]
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- Tap the
  icon. It's in the row of icons right above the keyboard.^{[2]
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- Tap the blue magnifying glass near the top-right corner of the Store.
- Type giphy (or stickers, if you want to search for individual stickers packs instead) and press Search.
- Tap GET next to "GIPHY: The GIF Search Engine" (or any sticker pack you wish). If you opt for a sticker pack that costs money, you'll see the price instead of the word "GET."
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the install.
- Tap x at the top-right corner of the store to minimize the window.
2
Open Messages on your iPhone or iPad. It's the green icon with a white speech bubble inside.
- The camera that comes with the Messages app lets you add stickers to photos you take with the app.
- If you have an iPhone X or iPad Pro, you can add Memoji stickers to your photos without downloading additional apps.^{[3]
  X
  Research source} You'll need to create a Memoji before the option becomes available in the camera.
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Type the name of the person you want to send the photo to, or tap the + to select someone from your Contacts list. Though you have to select a recipient, you'll be able to save the image without sending it once you're finished editing.
It's at the bottom-left corner of the message. This opens the regular camera screen.
5
Tap the Camera Effects button. It's the star in a circle at the bottom-left corner. This opens the Messages camera, which is a little different. You'll see that there are several icons below the camera viewfinder.
- If you installed a sticker pack, an icon for that pack will appear in the row of icons at the bottom of the screen.
It's at the bottom-center part of the screen. A preview of your photo will appear.
7
Tap Aa to open the text sticker panel. It's at the bottom-left corner. This opens a panel that contains many sticker options for your photo.
- If you installed GIPHY, tap the icon with a multicolored outline of a sticker (a rectangle with one down-turned corner) instead. You may have to swipe left across the icons to find it.
- If you want to use a Memoji, tap the monkey icon.^{[4]
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8
Find and tap a sticker. If you're adding a text sticker, swipe up the panel at the bottom of the screen to see what's available, then tap the one you want to use.
- If you're using GIPHY, use these tips to find a sticker:
  - Browse: Below the search bar are several tabs (TRENDING, FAVORITES, ACCESSORIES, etc.). Swipe left across these tabs to view all categories, then tap a tab that interests you. Scroll down to see which stickers are available, then tap a sticker to add it.
  - Search: Type a keyword into the "Search for stickers" bar at the top of the screen and press the Search key. Tap the sticker you want to add.
If you selected a text sticker, the word "Text" will appear at its center and the keyboard will appear. Type the text you want to appear on the sticker, then tap any blank area on the photo to return to the sticker panel.
It's near the bottom-right area of the screen.^{[5]
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11
Drag the sticker to the desired location. Just place your finger on the screen right on top of the sticker and move it anywhere you'd like.
- To make the sticker larger, place two fingers together right on top of it, then drag your fingers apart.
- To make it smaller, pinch two fingers together on top of the sticker.
- To rotate the sticker, place two fingers together on the sticker, then turn your fingers left or right as needed.
- To remove the sticker from the photo, tap and hold it, then drag it to the trash can at the bottom of the screen.
You can add as many stickers (from as many sticker packs) as you wish.
13
Add other effects, text, or shapes. The camera in Messages also comes with other optional features:^{[6]
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- To add a stylized color and/or lighting filter to your photo, tap the icon of three colored circles beneath the photo's bottom-left side to open the filters menu, tap a filter to select it, then tap the X at the top-right corner of the filter menu to close it.
- To add shapes to the image, tap the red squiggly line icon below the photo, then tap a shape. You can drag it wherever you'd like and then tap the X to close the Shapes menu.
- You may have to tap Done at the top-right corner in some versions after editing the photo.
14
Send or save the photo. You have three options:
- If you want to save the photo without sending it, tap the x at the top-right corner to return to the message, and then tap x at the top-right corner of the attachment to remove it from the message. The photo is saved to the Camera Roll in the Photos app.
- To immediately send the photo to the recipient, tap the blue and white arrow button at the bottom-right corner.
- To include a message with the photo, tap the x at the top-right corner, type your message into the blank, and then tap the blue and white arrow to send.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Snapchat

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Open Snapchat
on your iPhone or iPad. It's the yellow icon with a white ghost inside.
2
Snap a new photo or video. Tap the shutter button (the large circle at the bottom of the screen) to take a photo, or hold the shutter down to record a video. When you're finished, a preview of the image or video will appear.
- To add stickers to a photo from your camera roll, tap the Memories icon (the two overlapping photos) below the shutter button, tap CAMERA ROLL, and then tap the photo to open it. Tap Edit Photo to enter editing mode.
It's the square-shaped sticker with a folded-up corner on the right side of the screen. This opens the sticker menu.
You can browse stickers by swiping left through the categories and then scrolling down to view all options. You can also search by keyword using the "Search" bar at the top of the screen. When you find a sticker you like on the menu, tap it to add it to the photo.^{[7]
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5
Adjust the size and position of the sticker. Use one finger to drag the sticker to the desired location, and use these tips to adjust the size and position:
- To make the sticker larger, place two fingers together right on top of it, then drag your fingers apart.
- To make it smaller, pinch two fingers together on top of the sticker.
- To rotate the sticker, place two fingers together on the sticker, then turn your fingers left or right as needed.
- To remove the sticker from the photo, tap and hold it until the trash icon appears at the bottom of the screen, then drag the sticker to the trash icon.
6
Share the image or video.
- Tap the blue and white paper airplane at the bottom-right corner of the screen to share your creation on Snapchat. You can choose a specific person or group of people to share with, or post to your story.
- If you chose an image or video from your phone or tablet, you can tap the Share
  icon at the bottom-left corner of the screen, and then tap Save Image (or Save Video) to save without sharing.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Instagram Stories

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It's the purple and orange icon with a white camera inside. You can use the Stories feature of Instagram to add stickers to photos.
This opens the Stories camera.
It's the square at the bottom-left corner of the screen. This opens a list of photos added most recently to the Camera Roll.
Scroll through the photos, then tap one to select it. If you don't see the photo, tap the drop-down menu near the top-left corner to browse other folders.
It's the square smiley sticker with a turned-up corner at the top of the screen. This opens the Sticker menu.^{[8]
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Browse for a sticker. Scroll down to view the available options, and then tap a sticker to select it.^{[9]
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- To search for a specific sticker, type a keyword into the "Search" bar at the top of the menu.
- For more animated options, tap the GIF button on the Sticker menu (in the second row) to open the GIPHY search engine, then search or browse for a sticker. Just be aware that when you save your image, it will be saved as a short video file rather than an image.
7
Adjust the sticker's size and position. You can drag the sticker anywhere on the photo with a single finger. If you need to adjust the sticker's size:
- To make the sticker larger, place two fingers together right on top of it, then drag your fingers apart.
- To make it smaller, pinch two fingers together on top of the sticker.
- To rotate the sticker, place two fingers together on the sticker, then turn your fingers left or right as needed.
- To remove the sticker from the photo, tap and hold it until the trash icon appears at the bottom of the screen, then drag the sticker to the trash icon.
8
Save or share the photo.
- If you want to save the photo without sharing, tap the Save icon near the top of the image to save it to your camera roll.
- To share the image with others, tap Send To at the bottom-right corner, then tap Share next "Your Story" (to share to your story) or Send next to contacts you want to share with directly.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Facebook Messenger

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1
Open Messenger on your iPhone or iPad. It's the blue chat bubble icon with a white lightning bolt inside.
- If you don't have Messenger, you can open the Facebook app, and tap the camera icon on the top-left. This will allow you to use the same stickers.
It's at the top-right corner of the screen.^{[10]
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3
Tap the Camera Roll icon to select a photo from your phone or tablet. It's at the bottom-left corner.
- If you'd rather take a new photo, tap the large circle at the bottom-center part of the screen to do so now.
This opens the image in editing mode.
It looks like a square with a turned-up corner, and you'll find it on the right side of the screen.^{[11]
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Scroll through the options, then tap the sticker you want to add.
7
Adjust the sticker's size and position. To move the sticker, tap and hold it to select it, then drag it to the desired location. Here's how to resize the sticker:
- To make the sticker larger, place two fingers together right on top of it, then drag your fingers apart.
- To make it smaller, pinch two fingers together on top of the sticker.
- To rotate the sticker, place two fingers together on the sticker, then turn your fingers left or right as needed.
- To remove the sticker from the photo, tap and hold it until the trash icon appears at the bottom of the screen, then drag the sticker to the trash icon.
It's at the bottom-left corner. This saves a copy of the photo to your Camera Roll.

Community Q&A

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Question

I can’t find the camera effects button on my iPad. Why?

Rachael Rosenberg

Community Answer

Go to Settings-software update and insure you software is up to date. If that doesn’t work, it means your iPad is too old for this feature.

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