To make stickers on TikTok, open Inbox, enter a chat, tap Emoji > Favorites > Create sticker, choose a photo or GIF, edit it, then tap Create sticker again. You can also turn an eligible TikTok video into a reusable sticker. If you want a graphic on a video or Story, add it through the post editor instead.
The short version
- Photos and GIFs: Start inside a chat and open Emoji > Favorites > Create sticker.
- Video stickers: Open an eligible video and tap Share, or More options on your own video, then choose Create sticker.
- Public visibility: Turn Make public on or off before finishing a video sticker.
- Post decorations: Tap Stickers in the video preview editor to add an overlay.
| Method | Where to start | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Photo or GIF | A chat’s sticker picker | A reusable messaging sticker |
| Video from a post | The video’s sharing options | A reusable video sticker |
| Video from messaging | A chat’s sticker creation menu | A sticker from a liked, posted, or favorited video |
| Video overlay | The video preview editor | A graphic placed over your video |
| Story overlay | The Story editor | A graphic placed over your Story |
| Interactive prompt | Add Yours | A prompt others can respond to |
| GIPHY desktop maker | GIPHY Sticker Maker | A sticker eligible for GIF search after moderation |
| GIPHY mobile app | GIPHY’s creation tools | A sticker eligible for GIF search after moderation |
| GIPHY upgraded channel upload | GIPHY’s desktop upload tool | An externally designed sticker eligible for distributed search |
Set up TikTok and make a photo sticker
Use the main TikTok mobile app with an account that has messaging enabled. Open Inbox and enter a chat. Tap Emoji, open Favorites, marked with a star, then tap Create sticker, marked with a plus.
Choose the photo or GIF you want to turn into a sticker. If TikTok requests access to your photo library, grant it so you can select your image. Edit your selection, then tap Create sticker to finish.
Turn a TikTok video into a sticker
Open someone else’s video and tap Share. For one of your own videos, tap More options instead. Select Create sticker, edit the video selection, then tap Next.
Turn Make public on or off to choose the sticker’s visibility. You can optionally add up to 10 keywords during creation. Tap Create sticker to finish.
Create a video sticker from a chat
Use the messaging route when you want to choose from videos you have liked, posted, or saved to favorites. Open Inbox, enter a chat, then tap Emoji > Favorites > Create sticker. Choose Create video sticker to open the video selection.
Select Liked, Posted, or Favorites, then choose a video. Edit your selection and tap Next. Turn Make public on or off, then tap Create sticker.
Manage your stickers and video permissions
To manage a video sticker you have created, open Profile > Stickers and select it. Choose Add to store, Hide from profile and store, or Delete, depending on what you want to do. To remove a favorite inside messaging, press and hold it, then tap Remove.
To control who can turn your videos into stickers, open Profile > Menu > Settings and privacy > Privacy > Reuse of content. Under Allow reuse of content from, choose Everyone or Friends, meaning followers you follow back. These choices depend on your account’s eligibility, and the shared control also affects Duet, Stitch, and adding posts to Stories.
For a new post, create it and tap More options on the Post screen. Turn Allow reuse of content on or off before publishing. This lets you adjust reuse permission for that post.
For an existing video, open it and choose More options > Privacy settings. Turn Allow reuse of content on or off. Swipe across or scroll if the control is initially hidden.
Add sticker graphics to a video or Story
To decorate a video, record or upload it and tap Stickers on the preview screen. Select Stickers or Emojis, or search for an animated GIF, then choose an item. Press and hold the graphic and drag it into position.
This places an overlay in your post rather than creating a reusable messaging sticker. To remove an overlay before posting, press and hold it, then drag it upward until Delete appears. Move it onto Delete and release.
For a Story, tap your profile photo at the top of Following, Inbox, or Profile. Upload a photo or video, or tap Camera, then add stickers in the editor and tap Your Story. You can also start through Add post > Story.
Make an interactive Add Yours sticker
An Add Yours prompt lets you invite responses through other posts. Tap Add post, upload or capture a photo or video, then tap Add Yours, or open Stickers > Add Yours. Enter or select a prompt, tap Done, then choose Next > Post.
You can also start from a post that already contains an Add Yours prompt. Tap its prompt button, select New topic, enter or select your prompt, then tap Done. Upload or capture your media, edit it, and tap Next > Post.
You need an account with access to Add Yours to use these routes. The result is an interactive prompt; choose the photo, GIF, or video creation options if you want a reusable messaging sticker.
Make a custom sticker for TikTok GIF search
GIPHY lets you publish a custom sticker for TikTok’s GIPHY-powered animated GIF picker. On a desktop browser, sign in to GIPHY and open GIPHY Sticker Maker. Under Sticker, select Choose File and upload a JPG or PNG.
Remove the background with Lasso Tool, Magic Wand, or Eraser Tool, and restore areas with Brush Tool. Select Continue to Animate, choose an animation, then select Continue To Upload. Add tags and source information, make the content public, and select Upload to GIPHY.
On a phone, get the app from GIPHY’s app page and sign in. Tap Create, marked with a plus, or choose Create a New GIF or Sticker in your user-tab uploads feed. Select the sticker camera option or import camera-roll media, then edit your sticker.
Tap Upload to GIPHY, select Add Tags, keep visibility set to Public, and tap Upload to GIPHY again. After moderation, search for your GIPHY @username in TikTok’s GIPHY-powered picker. You can use that search for stickers made with either the desktop maker or mobile app.
If you have an approved upgraded brand or creator channel, you can also upload externally designed sticker files through GIPHY’s desktop upload tool. Sign in, select Create > Use Upload, then choose or drag in your files. Select Add Tags, set visibility to Public, and select Upload. Those uploads are eligible for distributed search after moderation.
Fix missing sticker options and search results
If you cannot select a photo, allow TikTok access to your photo library when prompted. You still need messaging access to use the chat creation route. These steps apply to the main TikTok mobile app; feature availability can differ across accounts and regions.
If a video does not offer Create sticker, check that you meet TikTok’s minimum age of 16 for video sticker creation and choose a video that permits it. Opening a restricted video through messaging does not bypass its permissions. For your own eligible video, check Allow reuse of content under its Privacy settings.
If your GIPHY sticker does not appear in TikTok search, check that you published it as Public and search using your GIPHY @username. Moderation can delay visibility, and TikTok’s rating limits can filter results. Uploading does not guarantee immediate appearance.
For an ordinary GIPHY account on desktop, use Sticker Maker to create stickers for this search route. Ordinary desktop file uploads do not have the same search eligibility as Sticker Maker creations. The externally designed file upload route requires an approved upgraded brand or creator channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you create TikTok sticker sets in a browser?
You can sign in to the TikTok Stickers website to view previously created sets. TikTok’s current help documents sticker creation in the main mobile app, so use the app to make new stickers.
Does deleting a TikTok sticker remove it from old chats?
Deleting a video sticker from Profile > Stickers does not remove it from existing chats, where it can still be accessed.
Can other people make stickers from a private account’s videos?
Other people cannot create stickers from your private account’s videos or from videos belonging to users aged 13 to 15. If you have a public account and are aged 16 to 17, reuse permission defaults to Friends.
Can you make TikTok stickers in CapCut?
You can use CapCut to add sticker graphics to a video, then export it and share it to TikTok. Those graphics become part of the exported video rather than entries in TikTok’s messaging sticker library. You can also use a downloaded sticker image as the input for TikTok’s photo-sticker workflow.
How do you stop TikTok from recommending custom stickers?
Open Inbox, choose System notifications, and open the recommended-sticker notification. Tap View more, then Don't recommend, and tap Confirm.