How to make a WhatsApp sticker from an image
WhatsApp is strict about sticker files: the canvas has to be exactly 512×512, the file has to be WebP and under 100 KB, and the background has to be transparent. This tool does the sizing, outline, margin and byte check in one go.
- Drop a PNG with a transparent background, or a JPG on a plain white or flat-colour background. A sample sticker is already made, so you can see the result first.
- Keep WhatsApp’s recommended 8 px white outline and 16 px margin, or set the outline to 0 for no border and lower the margin for bigger art.
- Check the dark and light chat previews and the byte counts: the sticker must stay under 100,000 bytes and the tray icon under 50,000.
- Click “Download sticker + tray icon (ZIP)”. For a whole pack, choose 3 to 30 images and use Build pack ZIP (Pro), which is laid out for WhatsApp’s sample sticker app.
WhatsApp sticker requirements, quoted (read October 24, 2026)
| What | What WhatsApp says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas | “Stickers must be exactly 512x512 pixels.” | WhatsApp Help Center, “How to design custom stickers” |
| Background | “Each sticker has a transparent background.” | WhatsApp Help Center, “How to design custom stickers” |
| File size, static | “Each sticker must be less than 100 KB.” · “Each static sticker must be less than or equal to 100KB and each animated sticker must be less than or equal to 500KB.” | WhatsApp Help Center, “How to design custom stickers”; WhatsApp’s sticker sample repo, Android README (GitHub) |
| Format | “Your sticker art must be in the WebP format.” (Android) · “Stickers must be either in PNG or the WebP format.” and “Animated stickers are supported in the WebP format only.” (iOS) | WhatsApp’s sticker sample repo, Android README (GitHub); iOS README (GitHub) |
| Tray icon | “This image should be 96x96 pixels and must be less than 50 KB.” | WhatsApp Help Center, “How to design custom stickers” |
| Stickers per pack | “Each sticker pack must have between 3 and 30 stickers” · “Sticker packs must contain either static or animated stickers, never a mix of both” | WhatsApp Help Center, “How to create and share custom stickers and sticker packs” (iOS version); WhatsApp’s sticker sample repo, Android README (GitHub) |
| Outline (recommended) | “We recommend adding an 8-pixel #FFFFFF stroke to the outside of each sticker.” | WhatsApp Help Center, “How to design custom stickers” |
| Margin (recommended) | “There should be a 16-pixel margin between the sticker image and the edge of the 512x512 pixel canvas.” | WhatsApp Help Center, “How to design custom stickers” |
| Animated | “Max sticker size = 500KB” · “Total duration of animation should not last more than 10 seconds” · “Animated stickers must have frames with minimum duration of 8ms.” | WhatsApp Help Center, “How to create and share custom stickers and sticker packs”; WhatsApp’s sticker sample repo, Android README (GitHub) |
| Emoji tags | “Add up to a maximum of three emoji for each sticker file.” (Android, where they are required) · “Emojis are optional” (iPhone) | WhatsApp’s sticker sample repo, Android README (GitHub); WhatsApp Help Center, “How to create and share custom stickers and sticker packs” (iOS version) |
All read on October 24, 2026: the help pages in a browser, the GitHub files as raw text. Gridloom is not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.
512×512 or 500×500?
One page disagrees. The iPhone version of WhatsApp’s “How to create and share custom stickers” article lists “Each sticker image must be 500x500 px” for static stickers and “Each sticker must have max 2 emojis”. Its own animated section, the Android version of the same article, the design article, both READMEs and the sample app’s validator all say 512×512 (the validator has IMAGE_WIDTH = 512 and EMOJI_MAX_LIMIT = 3). This tool makes 512×512, the size every other WhatsApp source that gives one asks for. If you tag emoji, two per sticker satisfies both pages.
100 KB: 100,000 or 102,400 bytes?
WhatsApp writes “100 KB” without saying which. The validator in its sample Android app counts KB_IN_BYTES = 1024, so that app accepts up to 102,400 bytes per static sticker and 51,200 bytes per tray icon. This tool keeps stickers under 100,000 bytes and tray icons under 50,000, which passes either reading. For WebP it tries quality 92 first and steps down (86, 80, 72 and so on) only until the file fits. PNG has no quality setting, so a PNG that comes out over the limit is saved as WebP instead, and the status line says so.
What the sample produced
| Setting | Sticker | Tray icon |
|---|---|---|
| Defaults: WebP, 8 px outline, 16 px margin | 512×512 WebP, 22,328 bytes (quality 92) | 96×96 PNG, 10,068 bytes |
| PNG format | 512×512 PNG, 80,244 bytes | same |
| Outline 0, margin 0 (no border, biggest art) | 512×512 WebP, 28,570 bytes (quality 92) | same rule |
Measured in Chrome on this page with the “Avo” sample (an original 1200×1100 drawing). Your numbers depend on the art: flat colours compress well, photos and textures less so.
The white border and the margin
Both are WhatsApp recommendations, not rules. The 8 px white outline keeps a sticker readable on dark mode, light mode and photo wallpapers. The 16 px margin keeps the art from touching the edge. Here the outline is drawn with an exact distance transform, so it is the same thickness all the way round, thin parts included.
Searching for a way to make a WhatsApp sticker without the white border? Set the outline to 0. If you want the art bigger, lower the margin. With the outline at 0 and the margin at 0 the art spans the full 512 px, against 464 px with the recommended settings (512 − 2 × 16 − 2 × 8), about 10% larger. The file stays 512×512 either way.
Can you make WhatsApp stickers without an app?
You can make the files without installing anything: this page runs in the browser. Getting them into WhatsApp is the hard part. WhatsApp’s help pages describe two ways in:
- WhatsApp’s built-in sticker maker, on Android and iPhone. Android: “Tap Create > Recents > See more > Photos.” It starts from a picture in your gallery, so pick “PNG” as the sticker format and save that file to your phone’s photos first. We haven’t tested how WhatsApp’s editor treats a transparent file, so check the preview before you send. The web version of the article says: “This feature isn't available on the web app, but it is available on these devices.” (WhatsApp Help Center, “How to create and share custom stickers and sticker packs”)
- A sticker app. WhatsApp says custom stickers can be packaged “in an app to be published in the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store” (WhatsApp Help Center, “About creating stickers packs for WhatsApp”). Its Android guide is blunt: “A separate app is necessary and it will reside on your phone's home screen just like any other app.” The iOS guide adds: “Once you add the stickers from the app to WhatsApp, you can remove or uninstall the app from your phone and continue to send those stickers.” WhatsApp also notes that “there are various sticker maker apps that help you create and import stickers into WhatsApp.” (WhatsApp/stickers README (GitHub))
The Pro pack ZIP is for the second route if you build your own app. Its folder “1” and contents.json match the assets folder of WhatsApp’s sample Android app, so you replace the sample stickers and build it in Android Studio.
What this tool doesn’t do
It makes static stickers only. Animated WhatsApp stickers are animated WebP files, up to 500 KB and 10 seconds. If you drop a GIF, only its first frame is used. The background remover only clears a plain, even background (white or one flat colour) that touches the image edge; for a photo of a person or a pet, cut the subject out first. It can’t publish a sticker app for you, and it can’t add stickers to your WhatsApp directly. A Telegram sticker isn’t automatically a WhatsApp one: Telegram only needs one side at 512 px and allows up to 512 KB, while WhatsApp needs a full 512×512 square under 100 KB. For Telegram, use the Telegram sticker resizer. For Discord, use the Discord emoji maker.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a WhatsApp sticker?
Exactly 512×512 pixels with a transparent background. WhatsApp’s design guide says “Stickers must be exactly 512x512 pixels.” and recommends an 8-pixel white stroke and a 16-pixel margin inside that canvas. The tray icon for a pack is 96×96 pixels (WhatsApp Help Center and github.com/WhatsApp/stickers, read October 24, 2026).
What is the maximum file size for a WhatsApp sticker?
Static stickers: under 100 KB. Animated stickers: up to 500 KB. Tray icon: under 50 KB. WhatsApp doesn’t say whether a KB is 1,000 or 1,024 bytes (its sample app counts 1,024), so this tool keeps stickers under 100,000 bytes and tray icons under 50,000, which passes either way.
What format do WhatsApp stickers use?
WebP. The Android guide says “Your sticker art must be in the WebP format.” The iOS guide also accepts PNG for static stickers, and animated stickers are WebP only. This tool makes WebP by default and PNG if you pick it.
What size is the WhatsApp sticker tray icon?
96×96 pixels and less than 50 KB, per WhatsApp’s design guide. It is the small image that represents your pack in the sticker tray. This tool makes it as a PNG from the same artwork.
How many stickers can a WhatsApp sticker pack have?
Between 3 and 30. A pack is either all static or all animated, never a mix. The Pro pack builder enforces both: it takes 3 to 30 images and makes static stickers only.
Can I make WhatsApp stickers without an app?
You can make the sticker files here without installing anything. WhatsApp’s help pages don’t describe a way to upload a sticker file directly, though. They describe its built-in Create option on Android and iPhone (which starts from a photo in your gallery) and sticker apps, such as one built from WhatsApp’s sample code. After a pack is added from an app, the iOS guide says you can uninstall the app and keep sending the stickers.
Can I make stickers on WhatsApp Web?
Not with WhatsApp’s custom sticker maker. The web version of WhatsApp’s help article on custom stickers says “This feature isn't available on the web app”. You can still make the file here on a computer and send it to your phone.
How do I make a WhatsApp sticker without the white border?
Set “White outline” to 0. WhatsApp recommends an 8-pixel white stroke so stickers stay readable on any chat background, but it is a recommendation, not a requirement.
How do I make my WhatsApp sticker bigger?
The file is always 512×512, so make the art fill more of it: keep “Trim empty edges” on and lower the margin. With the outline and margin at 0 the art spans the full 512 px instead of 464 px, about 10% larger.
Why does WhatsApp’s iPhone help page say 500×500?
The iPhone version of WhatsApp’s custom stickers article lists 500×500 px and max 2 emojis for static stickers. Every other WhatsApp source that gives a size, including the same article’s animated section and the sample app’s validator, says 512×512, and the READMEs and validator allow up to 3 emoji. This tool follows 512×512.
Can I make animated or GIF stickers here?
No. This tool makes static stickers. WhatsApp’s animated stickers are animated WebP files up to 500 KB, 10 seconds long, with frames of at least 8 ms. If you drop a GIF, the first frame becomes a static sticker.
Is it free, and are my images uploaded?
One sticker plus its tray icon at a time is free, with no watermark and no signup. Everything runs in your browser, so your images never leave your device. Pro ($5 for 30 days, paid in USDC) adds the whole-pack ZIP for 3 to 30 stickers with a contents.json.