How to make your own WhatsApp emoji

Why use words when you can reply with a custom emoji

Emoji, stickers, and memes have become a language of their own, but sometimes what’s on offer isn’t enough. You have to get in there and craft your own. There are a few ways to do this. Gboard’s Emoji Kitchen lets you mix different emojis together. You can also create a custom cartoon avatar of yourself using Bitmoji. WhatsApp made it possible to create your own custom stickers in its web and desktop versions, but it’s still not possible within the mobile app. The other option is to put those drawing skills to use on your mobile device. This guide walks you through turning your illustrations into WhatsApp stickers using the Sticker Maker app.

What you’ll need:

Drawing your custom WhatsApp sticker

Stickers and emoji aim to convey an idea or emotion, so be clear on what you want to say before you start pushing pixels around. The images below show a skeptical goblin drawn in both Infinite Painter and Pixel Studio.

1. Open up your drawing app of choice and create a new canvas.
2. Set an appropriate size for your canvas. Many apps have a variety of presets to choose from. A 2000px wide square will suffice for this.

3. Start with a basic shape to work with like a square or circle. You don’t have to stay within this of course.
4. Sketch in your main features. In this case it was the one bigger eye and raised eyebrow for the expression. Then the long ears and nose that are characteristic of goblins.
5. Add color. Keep the color scheme and detailing simple to ensure your sticker is readable at a small size.
6. Export your image. If you have a transparent background and save it as a PNG file, this will save you from having to cut out your sticker from the background later.

Creating your sticker in Sticker Maker

1. Download and Install the Sticker Maker app from the Google Play Store.
2. When you open up the app, tap the Create a new sticker pack button.
3. Upload your illustration by tapping on any of the numbered blocks and selecting your image from the file picker.

4. Cut out your image from the background by drawing around it using your finger or stylus. A small window will show up on the top left with a zoomed in view to help you guide your cutout. If you don’t like something or your cutout is a bit wonky, tap the Try Again button.
5. Add some text for added effect, or change the width and color of the outline.

6. Go ahead and save your sticker when you’re done.
7. Select a tray icon so that you can easily identify your sticker pack in WhatsApp. You can choose one from your sticker gallery or a different file from your device.
8. When you’re happy with how everything looks, hit the Add changes to WhatsApp button to export them to the app and confirm the changes. Expect an ad popup here.

You can follow the same process with selfies and photos of your pets, friends, or colleagues if you deem them sticker-worthy.

Sending your stickers

1. Open up a chat in WhatsApp and select the emoji symbol in the app (not on your keyboard).
2. Tap the sticker icon which will then bring up your available packs.
3. Tap the tray icon you selected for your sticker pack in Sticker Maker to see your different stickers.

If your friends want to use your stickers, you can share the pack with them from the Sticker Maker app. They will need to have the app installed on their device as well.

If you want to delete your sticker pack, you can do this inside WhatsApp by first tapping the encircled plus sign next to your tray icons. Head over to the My Stickers tab and hit the trash can next to the pack you want to remove. That’s all there is to it. Making your own stickers like this is pretty easy, but getting onto the Android and iOS emoji sets is more of a process.

Take your WhatsApp game to the next level

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world due, in part, to its versatility. If you’re new to Meta’s messaging service you’ll definitely want to learn how to use message reactions in WhatsApp.