How to Create and Customise Live Stickers from Photos on iPhone in iOS 18

Messaging has evolved far beyond static text and standard emoji. Starting with iOS 17 and expanding with refined visual intelligence in iOS 18, Apple allows iPhone users to transform personal photographs and dynamic Live Photos into bespoke Live Stickers. Using on-device machine learning, your iPhone isolates subjects from photo backgrounds in milliseconds, allowing you to apply tactile 3D finishes, metallic foil glimmers, and comic outlines before sharing them across apps.

Understanding Live Stickers in iOS 18

Live Stickers build upon Apple’s visual lookup subject-lifting technology. When you select a photo containing people, pets, plants, or distinct objects, the iOS Neural Engine separates the foreground subject from the background scene. If the original image was captured as a Live Photo, the resulting sticker preserves the motion loop, generating an animated graphic that moves naturally when viewed in conversations.

Method 1: Creating Live Stickers Directly from the Photos App

The most direct way to craft custom stickers is through your existing camera roll in the Photos app.

1. Launch the Photos app on your iPhone.
2. Select any high-contrast photo or Live Photo featuring a clear subject.
3. Press and hold your finger on the subject you want to isolate. You will feel a gentle haptic pulse, and an animated shimmering outline will trace the borders of the subject.
4. Release your finger to reveal the action callout menu.
5. Tap Add Sticker.
6. The sticker drawer will automatically open at the bottom of your screen, depositing your newly extracted sticker into your collection.

Method 2: Creating Stickers from Inside the Messages App

You can also create stickers without leaving your current text conversations in Messages:

1. Open the Messages app and enter any conversation thread.
2. Tap the + (Plus) button to the left of the message composition box.
3. Select Stickers from the application menu.
4. Tap the + (New Sticker) tile located in the top-left of the sticker tray.
5. Browse your photo library, select your preferred picture, and tap Add Sticker.

Customising Stickers with Dynamic Visual Effects

Once a sticker is added to your tray, you can enrich its appearance using playful graphic stylings:

1. In the sticker tray, press and hold the sticker you wish to modify, then tap Add Effect.
2. Choose from five distinct styling options:
   • Original: Retains the authentic colour and texture of the original photograph.
   • Outline: Wraps the subject in a clean, white die-cut vinyl border.
   • Comic: Applies pop-art cell shading, bold inks, and halftone textures.
   • Puffy: Produces a raised, soft 3D embossed look that mimics real puffy stickers.
   • Shiny: Adds a dynamic holographic rainbow sheen that interacts with your iPhone’s gyroscope, glistening realistically as you tilt your phone.
3. Tap Done in the upper-right corner to save your styling.

Using Live Stickers Across iOS and Third-Party Apps

Your saved stickers are synchronised via iCloud across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, making them accessible in numerous workflows:

• Peeling and Sticking onto Messages: Touch and hold a sticker in the tray, then drag it upward onto any message bubble in your chat to “stick” it directly over text or images as a visual reaction.
• Universal Keyboard Access: Tap the Emoji button on your iOS keyboard, then swipe left to the Stickers section. From here, you can insert stickers into third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Instagram Stories.
• Document Markup: Insert stickers into Apple Notes, Freeform boards, and PDF markups using the Markup tool tray.

Managing and Deleting Custom Stickers

To clean up outdated or redundant stickers from your tray, open your sticker collection, touch and hold the sticker you wish to discard until the contextual menu appears, and select Delete. The sticker is immediately removed from your synchronized keyboard tray.