How to delete stickers on Apple smartphone (2025)

How to Delete Stickers on iPhone: Clean Up Your Messages Fast

Why Remove iPhone Stickers

iPhone stickers can fill up your device quickly. They take up storage space. They also make your Messages app messy. When you learn how to delete stickers on iPhone, you free up space. You also make texting easier.

Many people download sticker packs they never use. Others want to remove old stickers. Some need more storage space. This guide shows you how to delete stickers on iPhone in simple steps.

What You Need Before Starting

You need these things ready:

  • iPhone with iOS 12 or newer
  • Internet connection for some steps
  • A few minutes of your time

Important: When you delete sticker apps, all stickers in that pack disappear forever.

Step 1: Find Your Stickers in Messages

Open your Messages app. Start a new text or pick an old one. Look for the gray “A” button next to where you type. Tap it.

You will see your sticker apps at the bottom. These are all the sticker packs on your phone. This is where you learn how to delete stickers on iPhone.

Step 2: Remove Stickers from Messages Only

Press and hold any sticker app icon. A menu will pop up. Choose “Remove from Messages.”

The sticker pack disappears from Messages. But it stays on your iPhone. You can add it back later if you want. This method helps when you want to hide stickers but keep them.

Step 3: Delete Sticker Apps Forever

Go to your iPhone home screen. Find the sticker app you want gone forever. Press and hold the app icon.

For newer iPhones (iOS 14+):

  • Tap “Remove App”
  • Choose “Delete App”
  • Tap “Delete” to confirm

For older iPhones (iOS 13 and older):

  • Tap the small “X” on the app
  • Confirm you want to delete it

The app disappears completely. This frees up storage space. Most sticker packs use 5-50MB each.

Step 4: Check All Your Stickers in App Store

Open the App Store app. Tap your profile picture at the top right. Choose “Purchased.”

Here you see all apps you ever downloaded. This includes free sticker packs. Apps with cloud icons are deleted but can come back. Apps saying “Open” are still on your phone.

This helps you track which stickers you own. You can re-download old sticker packs anytime for free.

Step 5: Clean Up Recent Stickers

In Messages, open your sticker area. Look at the top for recently used stickers. These show individual stickers you used lately.

Press and hold any recent sticker. Choose “Remove” or swipe left and tap “Delete.” This removes just that sticker from quick access. The whole pack stays.

Your recent sticker area becomes cleaner. Only stickers you actually use will show up there.

Step 6: Reset Sticker Suggestions

Your iPhone learns which stickers you like. Sometimes it suggests old stickers you don’t want. You can reset this.

Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Keyboard Dictionary. This clears all learned sticker habits. Your iPhone will start fresh.

After this, your iPhone will learn your new sticker preferences. It will suggest better stickers over time.

Common Problems and Fixes

Sticker won’t delete:

  • Check if parental controls block app deletion
  • Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions
  • Make sure “Deleting Apps” is allowed

Stickers still show after removal:

  • Close Messages app completely
  • Swipe up from bottom of screen
  • Find Messages and swipe it away
  • Open Messages again

Can’t find sticker app on home screen:

  • Some stickers only live in Messages
  • Use the App Store method instead
  • Check your Purchased list in App Store

Phone storage didn’t increase:

  • Restart your iPhone
  • Wait a few minutes for storage to update
  • Check Settings > General > iPhone Storage

Deleted wrong stickers:

  • Check App Store purchase history
  • Re-download for free
  • All your old downloads stay in your account

Extra Tips for Managing Stickers

Organize your remaining stickers:

  • Press and hold sticker apps in Messages
  • Drag them to reorder
  • Put favorites on the left side

Check sticker storage regularly:

  • Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage
  • Tap on Messages
  • See how much space stickers use

Keep only stickers you actually use:

  • Delete packs you haven’t used in months
  • Focus on 3-5 favorite packs
  • Remember you can always re-download later

Final Thoughts

Now you know exactly how to delete stickers on iPhone. These steps help you free up storage space. They also make your Messages app cleaner and faster.

Regular sticker cleanup keeps your phone running well. Try cleaning up your stickers once a month. This prevents storage problems. It also keeps your favorite stickers easy to find.

Remember, when you learn how to delete stickers on iPhone properly, you can always get them back later. All your downloaded sticker packs stay in your App Store history forever.