Send stickers in Messages on iPad

Use the Messages app to express yourself with stickers that match your personality and mood.

Recently used stickers in Messages. Each button across the top of the card opens a sticker pack.

Send a sticker in a message

Open the Messages app on your iPad, then start a new message or open a conversation.
Tap , tap Stickers, then tap the icon for any of the following sticker packs:
- Live Stickers you or a friend made: Tap . See Create new Live Stickers and Save other people’s Live Stickers, below.
- Emoji: Tap .
- Memoji: Tap , tap a Memoji in the top row to view the stickers in the sticker pack, then choose a pose or expression. See Create and edit your own Memoji stickers, below.
- Stickers from other creators: Download a sticker app from the App Store. See Add iMessage apps.
Add a message (optional), then tap .

You can also send stickers from the emoji keyboard. See Decorate with stickers.

Place stickers on a conversation

You can add stickers on top of message bubbles in conversations, and angle the stickers or make them different sizes. You can also place a sticker on top of another sticker.

Open the Messages app on your iPad, then start a new message or open a conversation.
Tap , tap Stickers, then tap an icon—such as , , or —in the top row to browse a sticker pack.
Drag a sticker onto a bubble, then do any of the following:
- Adjust the angle: Rotate a second finger around the finger dragging the sticker.
- Adjust the size: Move a second finger closer to or away from the finger dragging the sticker.
Your recipients see the sticker as soon as you place it on a message.
To find out who sent a sticker in a conversation, touch and hold the sticker, then tap Sticker Details.

Tip: Quickly add stickers to messages. Touch and hold a message, tap Add Sticker, then choose a sticker to appear on a corner of that message bubble.

Move, resize, or delete stickers

After you place a sticker on top of message bubbles in conversations, you can make changes to it.

Do any of the following:

Move or resize a sticker: Touch and hold the sticker, then make any changes.
Delete a sticker: Touch and hold the message bubble, tap Sticker Details, swipe left on the sticker you want to delete (on your iPad only), then tap .
See any text covered by a sticker: Double-tap the message bubble.

To change stickers sent in a message bubble, see Unsend and edit messages on iPad.

Note: You and your recipients must be using iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2, macOS 14.1, or later to see these updates to stickers.

Create new Live Stickers

You can create your own Live Stickers to use in the Messages app by lifting subjects from photos and adding effects that help bring the stickers to life.

This feature is available on supported models.

Open the Messages app on your iPad.
Start a new message or open a conversation, tap , then tap Stickers.
Tap , tap , tap a photo, then tap Add Sticker.
Tip: To create a Live Sticker that moves, use a Live Photo. See Make stickers from your photos on iPad.
To add an effect, touch and hold the sticker, tap Add Effect, choose an option (such as Comic or Shiny), then tap Done.

Save other people’s Live Stickers

When someone sends you a Live Sticker you like, you can save it to reuse later (iPadOS 17.2 or later).

Open the Messages app on your iPad.
Open a conversation with a sticker you want to save.
Touch and hold the sticker, then do one of the following:
- For a sticker sent inline: Tap Save to Stickers.
- For a sticker placed on a message: Tap Sticker Details, then tap Save.

Create and edit your own Memoji stickers

You can design your own personalized Memoji—choose skin tone, glasses, body, and more. You can create multiple Memoji to use in different contexts. Each Memoji—even the ones you create—automatically generates a range of poses and expressions.

The Memoji screen, showing the character being created in the middle, features to customize below the character, then below that, options for the selected feature. The Done button is at the top right and the Cancel button is at the top left.

Open the Messages app on your iPad.
Start a new message or open a conversation, tap , tap Stickers, then tap .
Tap , then tap New Memoji or Edit.
Tap each feature (Skin, Hairstyle, and others to the right) and choose the options you want.
Tap Done to save the Memoji to your collection.

You can also send animated Memoji or Memoji recordings that use your voice and mirror your facial expressions.

Helpful?

iPad User Guide