How to Make Stickers for WhatsApp
Five free ways to turn an idea, a photo, or a doodle into a WhatsApp sticker in 2026 — including sizes, formats, and the exact steps for each method.
Updated 2026-07-06 · 7 min read · by StickerSit
WhatsApp stickers are more flexible than emoji and faster than GIFs, but the catch has always been making your own. The good news in 2026 is that you no longer need desktop software or a single niche app. Depending on what you start from — a text idea, a photo, or an existing image — one of these five methods will get you a sticker in under a minute. This guide covers each method, the exact WhatsApp sticker size and format requirements, and how to bundle stickers into a shareable pack.
WhatsApp sticker size & format, at a glance
Every method below ends with the same target. If you hit these numbers, WhatsApp will accept the sticker; if you miss them, a sticker maker app will usually fix it for you automatically.
Official pack requirements
Each sticker must be exactly 512 × 512 pixels, in WebP (static) or APNG / animated WebP (animated). Static stickers should be under 100 KB, animated under 500 KB. A pack needs a 96 × 96 tray icon and contains 3 to 30 stickers.
For quick personal use you can ignore most of this: sticker maker apps accept ordinary photos and PNGs and handle the resize and conversion for you. The specs matter most when you are publishing a pack through a sticker provider.
Generate a sticker from text (no app needed)
If you have an idea but no image, an AI sticker maker is the fastest route. You describe what you want, pick an art style, and download a finished sticker — directly in the browser, on phone or desktop. Try it right here:
Prompt PresetsCATALOG
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Specialized tournament presets
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A good prompt is specific. Instead of “cat”, write “a happy orange cat wearing sunglasses and a party hat”. Include a subject, an expression, and one or two details. Generate the same prompt in two or three styles (Kawaii, Chibi, 3D Rendered) to see which you like best, then download the PNG.
Use WhatsApp’s built-in sticker maker
WhatsApp can turn a photo into a sticker without leaving the chat. This is the simplest method if you already have a clear photo of a pet, a friend, or an object.
- Open any chat and tap the attachment (clip) icon.
- Choose Sticker, then pick a photo from your library.
- WhatsApp automatically detects the subject and removes the background. Adjust the crop if needed.
- Send it. The sticker is now saved in your sticker tray to reuse.
This works on both iPhone and Android in current WhatsApp versions. The downside is limited control — there is no styling, text, or artistic effects, just a clean cutout of whatever was in the photo.
Make stickers on an iPhone
On iOS 17 and later, Apple added a native sticker cutout that works system-wide. Long-press a subject in any photo in the Photos app, tap Add Sticker, and it lands in your Messages sticker drawer. You can add effects (Outline, Comic, Puffy, Shiny), turn Live Photos into animated stickers, and the whole tray syncs to iPad and Mac through iCloud.
To move an iOS sticker into WhatsApp, save it as an image first, then use WhatsApp’s built-in maker (Method 2) or a pack app. For the full walkthrough, see our dedicated how to make a sticker on iPhone guide.
Make stickers on Android
Android does not have a system-level sticker cutout, so a small helper app does the job. The two most popular are both free:
Sticker Maker — open the app, create a new pack, pick a photo, and it removes the background and crops to a square. Tap Add to WhatsApp, confirm, and the pack appears in WhatsApp’s sticker tray.
Personal Stickers for WhatsApp — lighter and more manual: you load existing PNG images with transparent backgrounds and it bundles them into a pack. Pairs well with AI-generated PNGs from Method 1.
Both apps handle the 512×512 resize and WebP conversion automatically, so you can work from ordinary photos.
Bundle images into a shareable pack
Once you have a few stickers, a pack makes them easy to share. A pack is just a named collection of 3 to 30 stickers that other people can install from a link inside WhatsApp.
1. Gather 3 to 30 images. Keep one art style across the whole pack so it feels consistent.
2. Open a sticker maker app (Sticker Maker on iOS, Personal Stickers on Android) and create a new pack.
3. Add each image, give the pack a name and a tray icon, then tap Add to WhatsApp.
4. Inside any WhatsApp chat, open the sticker tray, tap the share icon on the pack, and send it to a friend to install.
Which method should you use?
You have an idea, no image
Method 1 — AI text-to-sticker. Fastest from nothing.
You have a clear photo
Method 2 (built-in) or Method 3/4 (iPhone/Android apps).
You want effects or styles
Method 1 (art styles) or iOS effects in Method 3.
You want to share a set
Method 5 — bundle into a pack and share the link.
WhatsApp sticker FAQ
What is the correct WhatsApp sticker size?▾
Each sticker in a pack must be exactly 512×512 pixels. Static stickers use the WebP format and should stay under 100 KB; animated stickers (APNG or animated WebP) can be up to 500 KB and run at up to 10–16 frames per second. A pack also needs a 96×96 tray icon. Casual users rarely need to hit these numbers by hand — sticker maker apps accept ordinary PNG or JPG photos and resize and convert them automatically.
Can I make WhatsApp stickers without downloading an app?▾
Yes. A web tool like StickerSit runs in your browser, so on a phone or computer you can type a description, generate a sticker, and download the PNG — no install, no sign up. You then move that PNG into WhatsApp using either WhatsApp's built-in sticker maker or a one-time pack tool.
How many stickers do I need for a pack?▾
A WhatsApp sticker pack needs at least 3 stickers and can hold up to 30. For a themed pack that feels complete, aim for 6–12 stickers that share one art style. Name the pack something memorable so friends can find it after you share it.
Does WhatsApp support animated stickers?▾
Yes. WhatsApp supports animated stickers in APNG or animated WebP format, up to about 10–16 fps and 500 KB per sticker. The easiest path is a sticker maker app that exports animated WebP; some AI tools can also generate short looping stickers you then convert.
Why do my stickers look blurry?▾
Almost always a size or format issue. Source images smaller than 512×512 get upscaled and look soft, and highly compressed JPGs lose detail before they even reach WhatsApp. Start from a square image that is at least 512×512, keep PNG or WebP rather than re-saving as JPG, and let a sticker maker crop to a square rather than stretching.
Are these methods free?▾
All five methods in this guide are free. WhatsApp's built-in maker and the iPhone cutout feature are part of the operating system. Sticker maker apps like Sticker Maker (iOS) and Personal Stickers for WhatsApp (Android) are free to install, and StickerSit is free with no sign up.
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