How to Turn a Picture Into a Sticker on iPhone

Starting with iOS 17, your iPhone can turn almost any photo into a sticker without a third-party app. The whole workflow lives in the Photos app: lift the subject out of the background, save it as a sticker, optionally add effects, then use it in iMessage and other apps. This guide walks through each step.

Requirements

You need:

• An iPhone running iOS 17 or later (the same feature exists on iPadOS 17+).
• A photo with a clear subject — a person, pet, object — against a background that is reasonably distinct. Sharp edges make the automatic cutout cleaner.

Step 1: Lift the subject from the background

Open the photo in the Photos app:

1. Tap the photo to open it full screen.
2. Press and hold the subject (the person, animal, or object).
3. Wait until a glowing outline appears around the subject — this is the automatic cutout.
4. Lift your finger. A preview floats above the photo.

If the outline includes parts of the background, try again with a photo where the subject is centered and the background is simpler. You can also select a subject in other apps, such as Safari or Messages, with the same gesture.

Step 2: Add it to your sticker collection

While the cutout preview is on screen:

1. Drag the cutout preview toward the photo until a dark drop area appears.
2. Drop it there. Your iPhone asks whether to add it as a sticker.
3. Tap Add Sticker.

The sticker is now stored in the sticker drawer and is available across apps.

Step 3: Add effects (optional)

You can style the sticker right after adding it:

1. In the sticker drawer, tap the sticker.
2. Tap Add Effect (the sparkle icon).
3. Choose Outline (white border), Comic, Puffy (3D look), or Shiny (glossy finish).

Effects apply instantly and can be changed later. Live stickers are created automatically from Live Photos: the sticker plays a short animation whenever you send it.

Step 4: Use the sticker in iMessage

Open Messages and start a conversation:

1. Tap the plus button next to the text field.
2. Tap Stickers (a square with a folded corner).
3. Tap a sticker to send it, or drag it onto an existing bubble to attach it to that message.

Stickers also appear in the emoji keyboard when you tap the emoji icon and switch to the sticker tab.

Use stickers in other apps

Any app that uses the system emoji keyboard can insert your stickers:

• Mail and Notes — open the keyboard, switch to the sticker tab, and tap one to insert it.
• Photos — send or share a photo, then add the sticker on the preview screen.
• Third-party apps — support varies, but most apps with an emoji picker also expose the sticker drawer.

Manage and delete stickers

To organize your collection:

• Press and hold a sticker in the drawer, then drag it to reorder.
• Tap Rearrange to reorder multiple stickers at once.
• Press and hold a sticker and choose Delete Sticker to remove it.

Common questions

Why can’t I lift the subject from some photos? The cutout works best when the subject is clearly separated from the background. Photos with busy backgrounds, transparent objects, or heavy shadows may need a different photo or a manual crop first.

Do stickers work in Android conversations? Sent stickers appear to Android users as a normal image, so they still see the sticker, just without the animated or effect layers.

Can I edit the sticker after creating it? You can change effects and delete or reorder it, but the cutout itself is fixed. To change the cutout, create a new sticker from the same photo.

Next steps

Try the feature with a few different photo types — a pet, a mug, a flower — to see how the cutout behaves. Then add effects and experiment with Live Photos to make animated stickers for chats.