Stickers are a blast for spicing up your chats, and I totally get how your collection can get out of hand fast! Maybe you’ve had a little too much fun making custom stickers from your favorite photos, or there’s that one sticker pack you grabbed on impulse that just won’t go away. Or maybe you just want a cleaner, simpler sticker drawer. No matter what your sticker story is, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 are here to help you take charge.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through practical steps, share my favorite pro tips, and give you expert insight on deleting, hiding, or managing stickers on your iPhone or iPad—so you can keep things fun, organized, and totally you.
Types of Stickers on iPhone
First, let’s get on the same page about what kinds of stickers you might have on your device:
- Custom Stickers: The ones you’ve made yourself, maybe from a hilarious Live Photo or a cute pet pic.
- Third-Party Sticker Packs: Downloaded from the App Store or bundled with other apps—these can pile up quickly!
- Memoji/Genmoji Stickers: Apple’s own personalized sticker options.
- Stickers on Messages or Photos: Any sticker you’ve placed onto a text or image in a conversation (sometimes called sticker reactions).
Each type has its own way of being managed or deleted, so let’s dive in.
How to Delete Custom Stickers in Messages on iPhone
If you’ve ever created a custom sticker, you might want to clear out the ones you no longer love. Here’s how:
To delete a single custom sticker:
- Open the Messages app.
- Tap the Plus (+) button next to the text field.
- Select Stickers.
- Make sure you’re on the Live or custom stickers tab (not the Recent tab—you can’t delete from there).
- Tap and hold the sticker you want to remove (don’t drag it).
- Lift your finger, and a menu will pop up.
- Tap Delete.
To delete multiple custom stickers at once:
- In the Stickers drawer, tap and hold any sticker.
- Select Rearrange from the menu.
- Tap the minus (–) icon next to each sticker you want to remove.
- Tap the background or any sticker to exit editing mode.
That’s it—your sticker library just got a lot lighter! If you use iCloud, these changes will sync across all your Apple devices.
How to Delete Stickers from the Emoji Keyboard in Other Apps
Want to clean up stickers you see in other apps, like WhatsApp or Instagram? Here’s what to do:
- Open the keyboard in any app that supports stickers.
- Tap the Emoji icon.
- Tap the Stickers icon (usually a folded sticker or similar symbol).
- Make sure you’re not on the Recent tab—switch to your custom stickers tab.
- Tap and hold the sticker you want to remove, then lift your finger.
- Tap Delete from the pop-up menu.
How to Remove Stickers from Messages or Photos in Conversations
Whether you’ve placed a sticker on a message, a photo, or as a reaction, you can remove it from your view in any conversation—individual or group.
Step-by-step:
- Open the conversation in Messages.
- Find the message or photo with the sticker you want to remove.
- Press and hold the message bubble or photo (not just the sticker).
- Tap on more in the menu.
- In the Sticker Details screen, at the bottom left, tap on the delete icon and then select delete message.
Troubleshooting tip: If you can’t find “Sticker Details,” make sure you’re long-pressing on the message bubble or photo, not directly on the sticker. If the menu still doesn’t show up, try closing and reopening the Messages app.
Accessibility: VoiceOver users can get to Sticker Details by moving to the message bubble, doing a long press, and following the same steps.
Note: Removing a sticker this way only hides it for you. Others in the chat will still see it because iMessage shares the original message and sticker with everyone.
Why remove stickers? People often remove stickers if they put one by mistake, want more privacy, or want to clean up a chat before sharing it.
Group chats: Removing a sticker only affects what you see, even in group chats.
How to Delete or Hide Third-Party Sticker Packs
While you can’t remove individual stickers from third-party packs, you can remove the whole pack—or just hide it from view.
To delete a third-party sticker pack:
- Open Messages and tap the Plus (+) button.
- Select Stickers.
- Swipe through your sticker packs and tap Edit at the end of the list.
- Tap Edit again at the top left.
- Tap the minus (–) icon next to the pack you want to delete.
- Tap Delete and confirm.
How to Disable Stickers from the iPhone Keyboard
If you’re just not into stickers, you can turn them off entirely:
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to General > Keyboard.
- Scroll down and toggle Stickers off.
Voilà—no more sticker suggestions crowding your keyboard!
Smart Storage and Sticker Management Tips
Organizing your sticker collection isn’t just about keeping things neat—it can also help you save space on your iPhone and make messaging easier. Here’s how to better manage your stickers:
1. Check How Much Space Stickers Use
Most stickers are small, but custom stickers from Live Photos or high-quality images can take up more space. To see which apps or files use the most storage, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. If you see messaging or sticker apps using a lot of space, consider deleting some to free up room.
2. Regularly Remove Stickers You Don’t Use
Every few months, check your sticker packs and delete or hide the ones you don’t use. This keeps your app drawer tidy and your device running smoothly.
3. Manage Custom Sticker Files
If you made custom stickers from your photos or Live Photos, think about whether you still need the original pictures. Deleting old photos (after saving your favorites) can give you more space.
4. Use iCloud to Sync Stickers
Sticker changes are updated on all devices using your iCloud account. Deleting or hiding a sticker pack on one device will update it everywhere, saving you time and keeping things organized.
5. Keep Your Stickers Private
Custom stickers made from your personal photos are stored in iCloud and can show up on all your devices. Check your custom stickers often and remove any with private or sensitive content, especially if you share devices or accounts.
6. Accessibility and Easy Use
Most sticker management features work with VoiceOver and other accessibility tools. If you use these, adjust your settings for easier use and let Apple know if you have any problems.
Wrapping Up
Stickers are a fun way to show who you are, but using too many can get messy. With iOS 18, you can easily organize your stickers—delete, hide, or move them around however you like. Whether you want to tidy up or make space for new stickers, you have full control.
Do you have a special sticker story, an accessibility tip, or a feature idea for Apple? Share your thoughts below—I’d love to hear from you and help improve iMessage sticker management.
FAQs
They’re part of your iCloud account, so they sync across all your Apple devices. You won’t see them in the Files app.
No—stickers you’ve already sent will stay put in those chats, even if you delete the pack or remove them from your device.
If it’s from a third-party pack, just reinstall the app from the App Store. Custom stickers will need to be recreated.
Not really, unless you’re a serious sticker collector with tons of third-party apps.
Absolutely! Just toggle them off in the Stickers drawer Edit mode.
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