How to Add Stickers to Photos

Spice up your texts and social media pics

Person's hand holds white iPhone over coffee and table scene they just took a photo of.

Ylanite Koppens/Pexels

by Anita George
Anita George has been a technology journalist since 2013. Her work has appeared in Paste Magazine and she holds both B.A. and B.S. degrees.
Updated August 29, 2019

Adding stickers to your photos can be a lighthearted way to add your own spin or commentary to a photo you've posted. And there's more than one way to add fun and interesting stickers to the photos you post on social media or the photos you send in messages and texts.

Here's how to add stickers to photos in Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, and using one of our favorite standalone sticker apps, PicsArt Photo Editor.

The following instructions included in this guide will show you how to add stickers to photos in Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, and PicsArt Photo Editor. These instructions should be able to help you add stickers to photos using these apps on either Android or iOS devices.

How to Add Stickers to Photos in Facebook Messenger

Your Facebook Messenger messages don't just have to be plain text or images. Spice up your Facebook Messenger photos by adding stickers to them! Here's how.

Once you're logged into the Facebook Messenger app, follow the instructions below. These instructions will show you how to add stickers to photos from your phone's gallery.

  1. Open the Facebook Messenger app on your Android or iOS device, then tap the Camera icon.

  2. On the next screen, tap the Photo Gallery icon in the bottom left corner, then choose a photo from your phone's gallery to add a sticker to.

  3. The photo you chose should appear on the next screen. To add a sticker, tap the white Smiley Face icon on the right side of the screen. A menu of stickers should appear. Choose one.

    Series of three screenshots showing how to add a sticker to a photo in Facebook Messenger on an iPhone.

  4. The sticker you choose should appear on your photo. Tap and hold the sticker to adjust its position, and pinch to zoom in and out with your fingers to change the sticker's size.

  5. To send your edited photo to a friend, tap the arrow at the bottom to send it to a Messenger contact. To save the photo, tap the Save icon at the bottom of the screen.

How to Add Stickers to Photos in Snapchat

Snapchat photo posts are the perfect opportunity for sticker decorations! Follow the instructions below to add stickers to photos in Snapchat for Android and iOS.

  1. Open the Snapchat app.

  2. On the main screen, tap the Gallery icon (the one that looks like a torn photo), which is located at the bottom of the screen.

  3. At the top of the next screen, tap Camera Roll. You'll then be presented with photos from your phone's gallery.

  4. Choose the photo you want to add a sticker to. For Android, tapping a photo should open the photo as a new Snap for you to edit. On iOS, you should long press on the photo until a menu pops up. Once that menu pops up, tap Edit Photo from that menu.

  5. On the next screen, your photo will appear ready to have a sticker added to it. On this screen, tap the icon that looks like a peeled square sticker, which is located on the right side of the screen.

  6. You should be taken to a screen filled with a variety of stickers to choose from. Tap one to add it to your photo.

  7. You'll be taken back to your photo, but now it has your chosen sticker on it. To adjust the location of the sticker, tap and hold the sticker, then move your finger to change the position; pinch to zoom with your fingers to change its size.

  8. Once you're done with your adjustments, you can choose to save your photo or tap the Share icon at the bottom of the screen to send your new photo as a Snap.

    Series of three screenshots showing how to add a sticker to a photo on Snapchat on an iPhone.

How to Add Stickers to Photos in PicsArt Photo Editor

You can also add stickers using standalone photo editor apps like PicsArt Photo Editor. The PicsArt Photo Editor app is worth trying precisely because of its huge sticker collection, which is also conveniently searchable, so you can find the perfect sticker to adorn your photo without having to endlessly, aimlessly scroll through a ton of stickers.

PicsArt Photo Editor is available for Android and iOS devices.

  1. Open the PicsArt Photo Editor app on your Android or iOS device.

  2. From the main screen, tap All Photos to access your phone's photos.

  3. The next screen will show you your phone's collection of photos. From here, tap the photo you want to add a sticker to.

  4. Once you choose a photo, you'll be taken to a photo editor screen where your chosen photo is ready to be edited. Tap the peeled sticker icon at the bottom of the screen to add a sticker to your photo.

  5. You should be presented with an extensive menu of stickers to choose from. You can even use the Search bar at the top or the hashtags underneath the search bar to search this collection of stickers. From here, tap a sticker to add to your photo.

  6. Choosing a sticker takes you back to the photo editor screen with your photo and your new sticker. Tap and hold on the sticker to move it around, and resize it by pinching to zoom with your fingers.

    A series of three screenshots showing how to add stickers to photos in the PicsArt Photo Editor app on an iPhone.

  7. When you've made your adjustments, tap Apply to save your changes.

  8. Tap Next.

  9. You'll then be taken to the Share screen. Tap either Save or Post. The Post option will allow you to share your new photo to other social media apps or via text message.