Everyone in the family group chat has that one sticker of someone's face that gets used forty times a day. Here is how to make your own, from the quick built-in method to a full pack of reactions generated from a single selfie.
Method 1: WhatsApp's built-in sticker maker
Since 2024 WhatsApp has had a sticker maker inside the app on both iPhone and Android.
- Open any chat, tap the sticker icon, then the + (Create) button.
- Choose a photo. WhatsApp cuts out the subject automatically.
- Add text or doodles if you want, tap Save.
It is fast and free. The limits: one sticker at a time, the cut-out is rough around hair, and you only get the one expression that is in the photo. Good for a quick joke, not for a pack.
Method 2: Sticker-maker apps
Apps like Sticker.ly, Sticker Maker and Wemoji let you build a pack of up to 30 stickers, crop by hand or with auto background removal, and export the whole pack into WhatsApp in one tap. They are better for assembling a set from many photos. The downside is that you still need a separate photo for every expression, and the free tiers are heavy on ads.
Method 3: Generate a whole pack from one selfie
This is the route if you want many expressions from a single photo. An image model takes your face and redraws it nine or twelve times — laughing, crying, eye-rolling, thumbs up — keeping the likeness in every cell. On CoolSticker:
- Pick a pack. Meme Nine-Shot gives you nine classic reactions; Emoji Me gives twelve emoji faces; Mood Weather is a set of moods; for a pet, Pet Moods.
- Upload one front-facing photo. It is resized on your phone before upload.
- Wait about thirty seconds. Every sticker is cut out and bordered automatically.
- Tap Add to WhatsApp. The pack installs straight into your sticker tray — no app to download.
The free version gives you 512-pixel stickers with a small watermark, which is the size WhatsApp uses anyway. The clean high-resolution files are a one-off S$3.90 if you also want them for Telegram, iMessage or printing.
Tips for a good source photo
- Face the camera straight on. Three-quarter angles make the model guess the other side of your face.
- Even light, no harsh shadows. Window light is perfect, a ceiling spotlight is not.
- No sunglasses or hats unless you want them in every sticker.
- For pets, get down to their eye level and wait for the ears to be up.
Making them physical
A pack that is funny in the chat is usually funnier on a water bottle. Any sheet you generate can be printed as a kiss-cut vinyl sheet from S$9.90 with free shipping within Singapore — see our custom stickers guide for sizes and materials.