Creating stickers on Snapchat takes three steps: open the camera, tap the sticker icon, and either choose from existing stickers or create your own from a photo

Snapchat stickers come in two types. Pre-made stickers are designs Snapchat provides — emojis, branded characters, seasonal graphics — and you can add them to any snap in seconds. Custom stickers are images you create yourself from photos on your phone or screenshots, which you then save to your personal sticker pack and use later.

Both types work the same way once they're in your snap: you tap, drag, resize, and rotate them before sending. The difference is where they come from and how long they stay available. This guide walks you through making both kinds and explains what you can and cannot do with them.

Key Takeaways

  • Pre-made stickers appear in the sticker panel when you tap the sticker icon during a snap — no creation needed, just select and place.
  • Custom stickers are made by taking a photo or screenshot, cutting out the part you want, and saving it to your sticker pack for future use.
  • You can resize, rotate, and layer stickers on top of each other, and they work on both photos and video snaps.
  • Custom stickers you create stay in your sticker pack until you delete them, but pre-made stickers rotate out as Snapchat updates its library.

How to add pre-made stickers to a snap

Open Snapchat and take a photo or video snap the normal way. Once you're on the editing screen (after you've taken the snap but before you send it), look for the sticker icon — it looks like a square with a folded corner, usually in the toolbar on the right side of the screen.

Tap that icon and a panel of stickers will appear at the bottom. Scroll left and right to browse categories: there are usually tabs for trending stickers, seasonal stickers, branded characters, and more. When you find one you want, tap it once to add it to your snap. The sticker will appear in the center of your screen. You can now pinch to resize it, rotate it with two fingers, or drag it to move it anywhere on the snap. Tap elsewhere on the snap to deselect it.

If you want to add more stickers, tap the sticker icon again and repeat. You can layer as many as you want. When you're done, send the snap the normal way.

How to create a custom sticker from a photo

Custom stickers start with an image. You can use a photo from your camera roll, a screenshot, or anything else on your phone. Open Snapchat and tap the sticker icon while editing a snap. At the bottom of the sticker panel, you'll see a button that says "Create Sticker" or shows a plus sign — tap it.

Snapchat will ask you to choose a photo from your phone. Select the image you want to turn into a sticker. The app will then show you that image and ask you to cut out the part you want to keep. Use your finger to draw around the edges of the part you want — for example, if you're using a photo of your face, draw around your face and leave out the background. Snapchat's tool will automatically detect the outline and remove the background for you.

Once you're happy with the cutout, tap "Save" or "Done." The sticker is now saved to your personal sticker pack. You can use it on any snap from that point forward, and it will stay there until you manually delete it.

Managing and organizing your custom stickers

All the custom stickers you create are stored in one place: your sticker pack. To see them, open the sticker panel while editing any snap and look for a section labeled "My Stickers" or "Custom Stickers." Tap it to see all the stickers you've made.

If you want to delete a custom sticker, press and hold it in your sticker pack until a delete option appears, then confirm. Deleting a sticker removes it permanently — you cannot undo this, so only delete stickers you're sure you won't use again. Pre-made stickers cannot be deleted; they simply disappear from the panel when Snapchat rotates them out.

There is no limit to how many custom stickers you can create, but your phone's storage will eventually become a factor if you create hundreds. For most users, this is not a practical concern.

Resizing, rotating, and layering stickers

Once a sticker is on your snap, you control how it looks. To resize it, place two fingers on the sticker and pinch inward to make it smaller or spread outward to make it larger. To rotate it, place two fingers on the sticker and twist — the sticker will spin to match the direction of your fingers.

To move a sticker, simply drag it with one finger to a new location on the snap. You can place stickers on top of each other, and Snapchat will layer them in the order you add them — the newest sticker goes on top. If you want to change the order, delete the top sticker and re-add it after the one you want in front.

Stickers work on both photo snaps and video snaps. On videos, the sticker stays in the same position and size for the entire length of the video unless you manually move or resize it during playback.

Stickers versus filters and lenses

Stickers are different from filters (which change the color or tone of your entire snap) and lenses (which use your camera to create effects like face distortions or background changes). Stickers are objects you place on top of your snap after you've taken it. Filters and lenses are applied before or during the snap.

You can use stickers, filters, and lenses all at the same time on the same snap. For example, you could apply a black-and-white filter, use a lens that adds bunny ears to your face, and then add three stickers on top. The order doesn't matter — stickers always appear on the very top layer.

Sharing snaps with stickers

Once you've added stickers to a snap, you send it the same way you send any snap: tap the send button and choose who receives it. You can send to individual friends, group chats, or post to your Story. The stickers will appear exactly as you placed them when the recipient views the snap.

If you save a snap with stickers to your phone's camera roll (by tapping the download icon before sending), the stickers are saved as part of the image. If someone screenshots your snap after they receive it, the stickers will be visible in their screenshot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use stickers I create on other apps or send them to friends?

Custom stickers you create stay in Snapchat only — you cannot export them to other apps or send them to friends as standalone files. Your friends can see the stickers when you use them on snaps you send them, but they cannot download or use those stickers themselves. If they want the same sticker, they would need to create it themselves from the same image.

What happens to pre-made stickers if I don't use them?

Pre-made stickers rotate regularly as Snapchat updates its sticker library. If you see a sticker you like, use it soon — it may disappear from the panel in a few weeks or months. Custom stickers you create stay available forever unless you delete them.

Can I create a sticker from a screenshot of someone else's photo or artwork?

Technically, yes — Snapchat's tool will let you do it. However, using someone else's copyrighted image or artwork without permission is not legal, even if it's just for personal use. Only create stickers from images you own or have permission to use.

Do stickers I add to a snap take up storage space on my phone?

Custom stickers you create are stored on your phone and do take up space, though usually very little — most stickers are only a few hundred kilobytes each. Pre-made stickers are stored on Snapchat's servers, not your phone, so they don't count against your storage.

Can I edit a custom sticker after I've saved it?

No — once you save a custom sticker, you cannot edit it. If you want to change it, delete the old one and create a new sticker from the image with different cuts or adjustments.