You can delete a sticker from an iMessage conversation, but only within two minutes of sending it
iMessage lets you remove a sticker you just sent by tapping and holding it, then choosing Undo. This works only if you act quickly — Apple gives you a two-minute window before the option disappears. After that, the sticker stays in the conversation permanently, though you can still delete the entire message if you want to remove it completely.
The undo feature works the same way whether you sent a sticker by itself or alongside text. If you sent a message with both text and a sticker, undoing the sticker removes only the sticker, leaving the text behind.
Key Takeaways
- Tap and hold a sticker you just sent, then tap Undo to remove it within two minutes.
- After two minutes, the undo option disappears and you cannot remove the sticker without deleting the entire message.
- Deleting the whole message removes both the sticker and any text you sent with it.
- You can only undo stickers you sent yourself, not ones other people sent to you.
How to undo a sticker in two minutes
Open the iMessage conversation where you sent the sticker. Locate the sticker you want to remove and press and hold it with your finger until a menu appears. You should see an Undo button at the top of the menu. Tap it, and the sticker disappears from the conversation.
The two-minute timer starts the moment you send the sticker. If you wait too long, the undo option will no longer appear when you tap and hold. At that point, your only option is to delete the entire message.
Removing a sticker after the undo window closes
Once two minutes have passed, you cannot undo the sticker alone. Instead, you can delete the entire message by tapping and holding it and selecting More, then Delete. This removes the message and the sticker together, but it also removes any text you sent in that same message.
If you sent a sticker with text and only want to remove the sticker, you will need to resend the message with just the text. There is no way to edit a message to remove only the sticker while keeping the words.
Why the two-minute limit exists
Apple built the two-minute undo window into iMessage to let you fix mistakes quickly without cluttering conversations with deleted messages. The short timeframe prevents people from removing stickers long after sending them, which would make conversations confusing to read — the other person would see a sticker appear and then vanish without explanation.
This same two-minute rule applies to text messages in iMessage as well. You can undo or edit regular messages within the same window, then the option closes permanently.
What the other person sees when you undo a sticker
When you undo a sticker within two minutes, it disappears from both your screen and the other person's screen. They will not see a notification that you removed it — the sticker straightforward vanishes as if you never sent it. This is different from deleting a message, which sometimes shows a "Deleted" label depending on your iOS version.
If you wait past two minutes and delete the message instead, the other person will see that the message was deleted, though they may not remember exactly what was in it.
Stickers versus emoji and how to manage them
Stickers are different from emoji. Emoji are single characters like 😀 or ❤️, while stickers are larger, often animated images that come from sticker packs you read or create. You manage stickers through the sticker button in iMessage, which looks like a star or smiley face depending on your iOS version. Emoji live in your keyboard and follow different rules — you cannot undo emoji the same way you undo stickers.
If you want to stop using certain stickers, you can remove sticker packs from iMessage by opening the sticker drawer, tapping Edit, and deleting the packs you no longer want. This does not remove stickers you already sent — it only prevents you from sending them in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo a sticker someone else sent me?
No. You can only undo stickers you sent yourself. If someone sends you a sticker you do not want to see, you cannot remove it from your side of the conversation. You can delete the entire message they sent, but that removes it only from your view, not theirs.
What happens if I delete a message with a sticker after two minutes?
The entire message disappears from both your conversation and the other person's. They will see that a message was deleted. If the message contained both text and a sticker, both are removed together.
Can I edit a sticker after sending it?
No. You cannot edit a sticker once it is sent. Your only options are to undo it within two minutes or delete the entire message. If you want to send a different sticker, you will need to send a new message.
Does undoing a sticker send a notification?
No. When you undo a sticker within two minutes, the other person does not receive a notification. The sticker straightforward disappears from the conversation without any alert or explanation.
Why can't I undo a sticker after two minutes?
Apple designed the two-minute window to keep conversations readable. If people could remove stickers hours or days later, the other person would see messages change without understanding why. The short window balances the ability to fix when ready mistakes with keeping the conversation history clear.