Put a custom sticker of yourself in Instagram Stories

Step by step

1. 1

   Make and save the sticker

   Create the sticker in StickerStudio, then download it from My Stickers and save it to your phone's photo library.

2. 2

   Option 1: the photo sticker

   In the Story editor, open the sticker tray and choose the photo sticker (the gallery icon). Pick your PNG, then resize and place it.

3. 3

   Option 2: copy and paste (iPhone)

   Open the sticker in Photos, tap Share, then Copy Photo. In the Story editor, tap to add text and paste, or wait for the Add sticker prompt. This keeps the transparent background.

4. 4

   Place and post

   Pinch to resize, rotate it to fit your photo, and post the Story as normal.

Getting a clean edge

If the sticker shows up inside a square or a rounded frame, Instagram has treated it as a regular photo. Tap the sticker to cycle through the frame styles, or use the copy-and-paste method instead.

The white border on StickerStudio stickers keeps them readable on busy or dark photos without any extra editing.

Tips for a better result

• Choose captions that react to the photo underneath, such as Mind Blown over a view or Snack Attack over food.
• Keep the sticker away from the top and bottom edges, where Instagram places your name and the reply bar.
• Make a few stickers in one go so you have a set ready for recurring Story moments.

What StickerStudio won't do

• StickerStudio cannot add stickers to Instagram's own GIF sticker search. That library is run by GIPHY.
• Stickers are still images, not animated.
• Instagram changes its editor often, so the button names above may differ slightly on your version.

Other ways to do it

Instagram's Cutout sticker can turn any photo of you into a Story sticker for free. Avatar stickers from Instagram's built-in avatar editor are also free. StickerStudio is for an illustrated version of you with a caption, which neither of those gives you.

How StickerStudio makes the sticker

1. 1

   Upload one photo

   A clear photo of one person, face visible. JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 10 MB. It is kept in your private library so you can make more stickers from it later.

2. 2

   Pick expressions

   Choose from 60+ captioned expressions such as LOL, WTF, Monday, Heart Eyes and Send Help, up to 10 at a time.

3. 3

   The AI draws each sticker

   An image model redraws the person as a cartoon in that pose, adds the caption and a white die-cut border, and removes the background. It runs in the background, so you can leave the page.

4. 4

   Download the PNG

   Finished stickers appear in My Stickers as transparent PNGs with no watermark. Download them as often as you like.

Questions