summary:Stickers make iMessage fun but can quickly clutter your iPhone. This guide shows how to delete, hide, or manage unwanted sticker packs for a cleaner, faster chat experience. Free up space, fix sync issues, and keep only the stickers you actually use.
When Stickers Take Over Your iPhone
Stickers are fun. They make texting more expressive, personal, and often hilarious. But over time, your iMessage app might start feeling messy, packed with sticker packs you barely use.
If you’re tired of scrolling through dozens of unused sticker icons or want to free up some space, it’s time to clean things up. Luckily, learning how to delete stickers on iPhone is simple once you know where to look.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through every way to remove stickers from iMessage, whether they’re Memoji, third-party packs, or custom ones from apps.
Table of Contents
Understanding iPhone Stickers
Before deleting, let’s quickly understand what kinds of stickers exist on iPhones. There are mainly three:
Apple Stickers (Memoji & Emoji Packs):
These come preinstalled with iOS and are tied to your Apple account. They include your Memoji stickers and basic emoji packs.
App Stickers:
Many apps you install, like GIPHY, LINE, or Bitmoji, add their own sticker sets directly to iMessage.
Third-Party or Custom Stickers:
These are downloaded separately from the App Store. Some are free, others are paid, and they work only inside iMessage.
All of these show up inside the iMessage App Drawer, which is that little row of icons at the bottom when you open Messages.
How to Delete Individual Stickers from Messages
If you’ve already sent a sticker and want it gone from a conversation, here’s how:
- Open the Messages app.
- Find the chat where the sticker was sent.
- Touch and hold the sticker in the conversation.
- Tap “Sticker Details” or “More” depending on your iOS version.
- Tap “Delete” or swipe left and tap the trash icon.
This will remove the sticker from that specific message thread. Note that it won’t delete the sticker pack itself it only removes that one sticker from chat.
How to Delete Sticker Packs from iMessage
Now let’s get rid of those entire sticker packs cluttering your iMessage bar.
- Open the Messages app.
- Tap on a chat (any chat works).
- Tap the “+” icon (or App Store icon) near the message box.
- Tap “Manage” or “More” at the bottom.
- Here you’ll see a list of all your installed sticker packs and apps.
- Toggle off the ones you don’t want to see or swipe left and delete them completely.
This is the easiest way to manage your iMessage stickers without going deep into settings.
Can’t Delete Stickers on iPhone? Here’s What to Do
If you can’t delete stickers on your iPhone, it’s usually because the sticker pack is tied to an app. Open your iMessage App Drawer, long-press the sticker, and check if it’s linked to an app you still have installed. Removing that app often fixes the issue instantly.
How to Hide Unused Stickers (Without Deleting)
Maybe you don’t want to delete a sticker pack but just hide it for now. You can do that too:
- In your iMessage chat, tap the App Drawer icon.
- Tap More (…) → Edit.
- Turn off the toggle next to any sticker pack you don’t want to appear.
- Tap Done.
This keeps the stickers installed but hidden perfect if you might use them again later.
Difference Between Hiding and Deleting Stickers
It’s easy to confuse “hiding” and “deleting” stickers, but here’s the quick breakdown:
| Action | What It Does | Can You Bring It Back? |
| Hide | Removes from your visible iMessage bar but keeps it installed. | ✅ Yes, just toggle it back on. |
| Delete | Completely removes the pack or app from your iPhone. | ⚠️ Only by reinstalling. |
If you’re unsure about losing a pack forever, hiding might be your safer option.
How to Delete Memoji Stickers
Memoji stickers can’t be deleted in the same way as other packs since they’re built into iOS. But you can disable them:
- Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
- Scroll down and turn off “Memoji Stickers.”
That’s it your custom Memoji stickers will no longer appear when you open your emoji keyboard.
How to Remove iMessage Apps
Some sticker packs show up as separate iMessage apps.
To remove iMessage apps, open a chat, tap the “+” icon → Manage → toggle off or delete the packs you no longer want.
Pro Tip: Freeing Up Storage by Deleting Stickers
Sticker packs don’t take up a huge amount of space, but if you’ve downloaded many, they can add up. Deleting unused sticker packs or sticker-based apps can slightly help your iPhone run cleaner.
To check your storage:
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
- Scroll down to see which apps or sticker packs use space.
- Delete the ones you no longer need.
Removing unused sticker packs can also free up space on iPhone Messages, especially if you use a lot of animated or third-party packs. A quick cleanup keeps iMessage running smoothly.
The Simple Fixes That Actually Work
When Sticker Packs Just Won’t Go Away
You’ve hidden a few, deleted some apps, but those random stickers still show up?
Yeah, that happens iMessage can be stubborn sometimes. But don’t worry, there’s always a way to clean it up completely.
1. Delete Sticker Apps Like Any Other App
Some sticker packs live as small apps on your iPhone. You don’t even realize it until you scroll through your home screen or App Library.
Here’s what you can do:
- Press and hold the app icon until a small menu pops up.
- Tap “Remove App.”
- Then hit “Delete App.”
- Once it’s gone, the stickers linked to it disappear too. If they don’t, restart your iPhone that usually clears leftover cache.
If you want to check where they came from, open the App Store → tap your profile picture → Purchased. You’ll see every sticker or iMessage app you’ve downloaded before.
Delete Bitmoji Stickers iPhone
If you use Bitmoji or other third-party sticker apps, deleting them is easy too. To delete Bitmoji stickers on iPhone, just remove the Bitmoji app itself the stickers will disappear from your iMessage App Drawer instantly.
2. Clean the App Drawer in iMessage
That little bar of icons under your text box (the App Drawer) collects all your sticker packs. Over time, it gets crowded.
To tidy it up:
- Open Messages → go into any chat.
- Tap the plus (+) or App Store icon.
- Tap More or Manage Apps (the name depends on your iOS version).
- Turn off any packs you don’t use.
You can even drag and reorder them so your favorite ones stay at the front. Personally, I keep only Memoji and GIPHY active the rest stay hidden.
3. When Stickers Won’t Delete — Try This
Sometimes, no matter what you do, a pack refuses to go. It’s not you. it’s iOS being a bit glitchy.
Try these quick fixes:
- Restart your iPhone. It refreshes Messages.
- Update iOS. Go to Settings → General → Software Update.
- If it still stays, delete the app it came from (like WhatsApp, Snapchat, or a sticker maker).
If you use iCloud Messages, the deleted stickers might come back after syncing. You can stop that for a while:
- Go to Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Show All → Turn off Messages.
- Then turn it back on after you’re done cleaning.
Clear iMessage Data to Fix Sticker Sync Issues
You can also clear iMessage data if stickers reappear after syncing. Go to Settings → General → iPhone Storage → Messages, and remove large attachments or leftover data. It helps reset the sticker cache and keeps iMessage running smoother.
4. Removing Stickers You Created Yourself
If you’ve made custom stickers using apps like Sticker.ly or PicsArt, they won’t delete inside iMessage. You have to remove them from inside the same app.
- Just open the sticker app → go to My Stickers or Collections → delete what you don’t need.
- Once done, force close Messages and reopen it. they’ll disappear.
5. Clean Up for a Fresh Start
Want to make iMessage look new again?
Here’s what usually works best:
- Delete any sticker apps from your home screen.
- In Messages, turn off or hide unused sticker packs.
- Turn off Memoji Stickers if you never use them:
- Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → turn off Memoji Stickers.
- Restart your phone.
Now, when you open iMessage, it’ll feel lighter, faster, and way less cluttered.
Free Up Space on iPhone Messages
Deleting unused sticker packs also helps free up space on iPhone Messages, especially if you’ve had iMessage backups turned on for years. Fewer stickers mean less data and faster syncing across your Apple devices.
6. A Quick Word About Sticker Overload
It’s easy to go overboard with stickers. Every funny one you find looks like a must-have, right? But all those packs add small bits of storage and make Messages lag a little.
If you’re someone who loves to keep things clean and fast, it’s better to have two or three favorites and delete the rest.
Your phone will thank you.
Final Thoughts
Keeping iMessage clean makes it easier to use. Stickers are fun, but only when you actually use them. If your drawer is packed with random packs from years ago, spend five minutes clearing it out.
After that, your chats will feel faster, and you’ll only see the stickers you care about not ones you forgot existed.
So go ahead open Messages, remove what you don’t need, and enjoy a simpler, cleaner iPhone experience.
FAQs
Q: Can I remove Apple’s built-in stickers?
Not completely, but you can hide them.
Q: If I delete a sticker app, will my messages disappear?
Nope. Only the stickers go away. Your chats stay safe.
Q: Can I reinstall stickers I deleted before?
Yes, just go back to the App Store → tap your profile → Purchased → Re-download.
Q: Why does iMessage still show old stickers?
It might be syncing from another Apple device or iCloud. Turning off Messages in iCloud for a bit usually fixes that.
If you found this helpful, explore more iPhone tricks and updates on Tecknostat.