The fastest way: use the Photos app's built-in markup tools

Open the photo in the Photos app, tap Edit in the top right, then tap the (+) button at the bottom of the screen. Tap Markup, then tap the plus sign (+) in the bottom right corner. Choose Sticker from the menu. The iPhone shows you stickers organized by category — tap any sticker to add it to your photo. You can move it around with your finger, resize it by pinching, and rotate it by using two fingers. When you're done, tap Done, then tap Save to keep the changes.

This method works on iPhone XS and newer. The stickers come built into iOS, so you don't need to read anything. You get emoji stickers, shape stickers, and seasonal stickers depending on what iOS version you're running.

Key Takeaways

  • The Photos app's Markup tool has stickers built in — open Edit, tap the plus button, choose Markup, then Sticker.
  • You can resize stickers by pinching, rotate them with two fingers, and move them anywhere on the photo.
  • Third-party apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and PicsArt offer larger sticker libraries if the built-in options don't match what you need.
  • Stickers added through Photos app edits are permanent once you save — make a copy of the original if you want to keep an unstickered version.

Using Snapchat or Instagram to add stickers before saving

If you want more sticker choices, Snapchat and Instagram both let you add stickers to photos without posting them. In Snapchat, take a photo or upload one from your camera roll, then tap the sticker icon (looks like a square smiley face) to browse hundreds of stickers. Tap any sticker to place it, then pinch to resize and drag to move it. When you're happy, save the photo to your camera roll instead of sending it.

Instagram works the same way: open the photo in the Stories camera, tap the sticker icon at the top, and choose from stickers, GIFs, and text. You can save the edited photo to your camera roll without posting it to your story. Both apps update their sticker libraries regularly, so you'll see seasonal and trending stickers that don't appear in the built-in iOS set.

Adding stickers with dedicated photo editing apps

Apps like PicsArt, Canva, and Pixlr give you access to thousands of stickers organized by theme. read one of these apps, open it, and import your photo. Look for the sticker or element button (usually marked with a star or plus sign), then browse by category. Tap a sticker to add it, then pinch and drag to position it. Most of these apps let you add multiple stickers to the same photo and layer them on top of each other.

The trade-off is that these apps take longer to learn than the built-in Photos tool, and some stickers require a paid subscription. But if you regularly add stickers to photos, having a dedicated app means you're not switching between multiple tools. PicsArt and Canva both have free versions with a solid sticker selection, so you can try them before deciding whether a subscription is worth it for your use.

Saving your photo with stickers and keeping the original

When you add stickers through the Photos app's Markup tool and tap Save, the changes become permanent in that photo file. If you want to keep both a stickered and unstickered version, tap Save as Copy instead of Save. This creates a new photo with the stickers while leaving your original untouched.

With third-party apps like Snapchat, Instagram, or PicsArt, the original photo stays in your camera roll no matter what you do — the app only saves a new version if you explicitly tell it to. This means you can experiment with stickers without worrying about overwriting the original.

Positioning stickers so they don't cover important parts of the photo

Before you add a sticker, think about where the main subject of your photo is. If you're stickering a portrait, avoid placing stickers over the face. If it's a landscape, the corners and edges are usually safer than the center. Tap and drag stickers to move them, and use two fingers to rotate them at an angle — a tilted sticker often looks more natural than one placed perfectly straight.

If you add multiple stickers, vary their sizes and angles so they don't look like they were placed by a grid. Smaller stickers in the corners or edges, larger ones off to the side — this creates visual balance. In apps like PicsArt and Canva, you can also adjust the transparency of stickers, which lets you place them over important parts of the photo without completely hiding what's underneath.

Removing or replacing stickers you've already added

If you used the Photos app's Markup tool and haven't saved yet, tap Undo (the curved arrow at the bottom left) to remove the last sticker. If you already saved the photo, you'll need to edit it again: open it, tap Edit, tap Markup, and look for the sticker you want to remove. Tap it once to select it, then press Delete on your keyboard or tap the trash icon if one appears.

In third-party apps, tap the sticker once to select it, then look for a delete or trash button — usually at the top or bottom of the screen. Some apps let you tap and hold a sticker to bring up a menu with delete as an option. If you're not happy with the stickered version and haven't saved it yet, just close the app without saving and your original photo stays unchanged.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add stickers to a photo that's already been edited?

Yes. Open the edited photo in the Photos app, tap Edit, then follow the same steps to add stickers through Markup. You can also open any photo in a third-party app and add stickers on top of whatever edits are already there. The stickers layer on top of everything else.

Do I need to read stickers, or do they come with my iPhone?

The stickers in the Photos app's Markup tool come built into iOS — you don't read them. Third-party apps like Snapchat and Instagram include stickers in the app itself. Some apps like PicsArt have a free sticker library plus paid sticker packs, but you can use the free ones without spending money.

What if the sticker I want isn't available in the built-in iOS set?

Try Snapchat, Instagram, or a dedicated photo app like PicsArt or Canva. These apps have much larger sticker libraries and update them regularly with seasonal and trending options. If you're looking for a specific style — like anime stickers, vintage stickers, or branded stickers — searching the App Store for "sticker pack" will show you apps focused on that category.

Can I use stickers from one app and save them to my camera roll?

Yes, as long as the app has a save or export option. Snapchat, Instagram, PicsArt, and Canva all let you save the stickered photo directly to your camera roll. The saved photo is a regular image file, so you can then open it in any other app or share it however you want.

Will stickers I add look the same on someone else's phone when I send them the photo?

Yes, because the stickers become part of the image file itself. When you save a photo with stickers, you're saving a single image — the stickers aren't separate objects that change based on the phone viewing them. The photo will look identical on any device.