You can delete a sticker from iMessage in two ways: unsend it within two minutes of sending, or remove it from your sticker collection so it stops appearing in your sticker drawer
If you sent a sticker by mistake, iMessage lets you unsend it the same way you unsend text messages — tap and hold the sticker, then choose "Undo Send". This works for about two minutes after you send it. After that window closes, the sticker stays in the conversation but you can no longer remove it from the other person's view.
If you want to stop a sticker from showing up in your sticker drawer at all, you can delete it from your collection. This is different from unsending — it removes the sticker from your device so you won't see it when you open the sticker menu, but it does not remove stickers you already sent in past conversations.
Key Takeaways
- Unsend a sticker within two minutes by tapping and holding it, then selecting "Undo Send" — after two minutes, unsend is no longer available.
- Deleting a sticker from your collection removes it from your sticker drawer but does not erase it from conversations where you already sent it.
- To delete a sticker from your collection, open the sticker drawer, tap and hold the sticker, then choose "Remove Sticker".
- Stickers you delete from your collection can be re-added later by finding the sticker pack again in the App Store or through iMessage.
How to unsend a sticker you just sent
Open the iMessage conversation where you sent the sticker. Tap and hold directly on the sticker itself — not on the message bubble around it, but on the sticker image. A menu will appear with options including "Undo Send".
Tap "Undo Send". The sticker will disappear from the conversation for both you and the recipient. This only works within about two minutes of sending. If more than two minutes have passed, the "Undo Send" option will not appear in the menu, and you will not be able to remove the sticker from the conversation.
How to delete a sticker from your sticker collection
Open an iMessage conversation and tap the sticker icon (it looks like a smiley face) at the bottom of the keyboard. This opens your sticker drawer. Scroll through your stickers until you find the one you want to remove.
Tap and hold on the sticker. A menu will appear. Select "Remove Sticker". The sticker will no longer appear in your sticker drawer on this device. If you use iMessage on multiple devices, you will need to remove the sticker from each device separately — removing it from your iPhone does not automatically remove it from your iPad or Mac.
What happens to stickers you already sent
Deleting a sticker from your collection does not remove it from conversations where you already sent it. The sticker will still be visible in past messages, and the recipient can still see it. Deleting only affects your sticker drawer going forward.
If you unsend a sticker within the two-minute window, it disappears from the conversation entirely for both people. But if you delete a sticker from your collection after the unsend window has closed, the sticker remains in the conversation history.
How to re-add a sticker you deleted
If you delete a sticker and later want it back, you can re-add it. Open the sticker drawer and look for a plus sign or "Get More Stickers" option. This takes you to the sticker store within iMessage or the App Store, depending on where the sticker pack came from.
Find the sticker pack you removed and tap to add it back. The stickers will reappear in your sticker drawer. Some sticker packs are free, while others cost money — if you paid for a pack before, you usually will not have to pay again when you re-add it.
Sticker packs and where they come from
Stickers in iMessage come from sticker packs, which are small apps or collections you add to your device. Apple includes some built-in sticker packs, and you can download others from the App Store. When you delete a single sticker, you are removing it from the pack on your device, but the pack itself remains installed.
If you want to remove an entire sticker pack instead of just one sticker, you can delete the app from your iPhone or iPad. Go to Settings, tap General, then iPhone Storage. Find the sticker pack app and tap "Delete App". This removes all stickers from that pack from your sticker drawer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the other person see that I unsent a sticker?
Yes. When you unsend a sticker, iMessage shows the recipient a notification that says "You unsent a message" or similar language, depending on your iOS version. They will know you removed something, but they will not see what the sticker was if they did not see it before you unsent it.
What if I unsend a sticker but the other person already saw it?
Once they have seen it, unsending removes it from the conversation on both devices, but they will remember what it was. Unsending is useful for mistakes sent in the moment, but it does not erase someone's memory of what they saw.
Do I lose stickers if I delete the iMessage app?
Deleting the iMessage app itself is not possible on iPhone — it is built into the system. However, if you delete individual sticker pack apps from the App Store, those stickers will no longer appear in your sticker drawer.
Can I hide a sticker without deleting it?
iMessage does not have a "hide" option for individual stickers. Your only options are to delete the sticker from your collection or delete the entire sticker pack app. Once deleted, the sticker will not appear in your sticker drawer.