Modern communication in the messenger Telegram has long ceased to be limited to simple text. Vivid, emotional images have become an integral part of correspondence, allowing you to express your mood more accurately than thousands of words. Creating your own set of stickers is not just fun for advanced users, but an accessible feature that turns your personal photos or funny pictures into a unique communication tool.
Many owners of smartphones based on Android erroneously believe that this requires complex graphic editors or programming skills. In fact, the process is as automated as possible and takes only a few minutes. In this article, we will look in detail at how to create a sticker pack using the official application and the built-in bot, so that your friends can appreciate your jokes.
Before you start uploading images, you need to understand the basic requirements of the platform. Telegram has strict rules for file format and size to ensure fast loading and correct display on any screens. Ignoring these rules will result in the bot simply rejecting your image, and the procedure will have to start all over again.
Image preparation: requirements and formats
The first and most important stage is the correct processing of the original photograph. Not every picture from your smartphone’s gallery is suitable for converting into a sticker without prior preparation. The main requirement concerns the background: it must be completely transparent. If you upload a photo with a white or any other colored background, it will look like a regular square, which will ruin the visual style of the chat.
You can use the built-in functions of modern versions of Android or third-party applications to remove the background. Recent versions of the operating system often have an Eraser or Selection tool that automatically separates the main shape from its surroundings. Applications like Background Eraser or online services that do this in seconds are also popular.
Image size is also critical. The side of the square in which the sticker is inscribed must be exactly 512 pixels. In this case, one of the sides (width or height) must be equal to 512 pixels, and the second must not exceed this value. The file format should be PNG for static images or WEBP for animated ones.
Use applications like "PhotoRoom" or "PicsArt" on Android to quickly remove the background and automatically adjust the size to 512x512 pixels.
Remember that the file weight should not exceed 512 KB. If your image weighs more, the quality will need to be reduced slightly when exporting, but for simple drawings or faces this is usually not a problem. Compliance with these technical nuances ensures that the bot will accept the file the first time.
Launch the Stickers bot and create a new pack
All the creation magic happens inside a special bot, which is the official tool of the platform. You do not need to look for third-party apps in Google Play, since all control is carried out directly in the messenger interface. To get started, open the contact search and enter the user name @Stickers.
Click the "Run" button or send a command /start to the chat with the bot. After this you will see a list of available commands. We are interested in creating a new set, so select the command /newpack or write it manually in the message input field. The bot will immediately ask you to come up with a name for your future sticker pack.
The name can be anything, it will be displayed in the list of sets for you and your interlocutors. It doesn't have to be the same as the name of the link we'll create later. Try to choose a short and memorable name so that friends can easily find your set in the general list.
⚠️ Attention: The name of the pack can only be changed before publication. After you click the publish button, it will be impossible to change the name of the set without creating a new one.
Uploading files and linking emoji
After you have given a name to your creation, the bot will ask you to send the first image. It is important to follow the sequence here: first send the picture as a file, and not as a photo, so as not to lose quality and transparency. Select the prepared PNG file in the gallery of your Android smartphone.
Immediately after sending the image, the bot will ask you to select an emoji that will correspond to this sticker. This is necessary so that when you enter a specific emoticon in the dialing field, your sticker appears. You can select one or more emoji that reflect the emotion in the picture (for example, laughter, sadness, greeting).
The process is repeated for each picture in the set. You send the file, select an emoji, and the bot confirms the addition. This way you can fill the pack with dozens of images. The minimum number of stickers to publish a set is only one, but usually users create from 5 to 20 pieces for variety.
If the bot gives an error when loading, read the message carefully. Most often the problem lies in the file size or the presence of an opaque background. In this case, return to the image editor, correct the error and try sending the file again.
☑️ Check before sending to the bot
Publishing a set and receiving a link
When all the desired images are uploaded and linked to emoji, the final stage begins. To make your set available for use, you need to send the command /publish. The bot will offer you to download an icon for the pack with a size of 100x100 pixels. This is an optional step: if you skip it by clicking /skip, the first image from the set will be used as the cover image.
Next, the system will ask you to come up with a short name for the link. This will be the unique address of your set, which looks like t.me/addstickers/name. The name must be written in Latin letters and cannot contain spaces or special characters other than underscores. If the selected name is already taken by another user, the bot will report this and ask you to come up with another one.
After successfully creating the link, the bot will display a message that the set has been published. Now you can click on the link and add stickers to yourself, as well as send the link to your friends. They will be able to install your pack in one click and use it in any dialogue.
The link to the sticker pack is eternal and unchangeable. If you want to add new stickers to the same set later, use the /addsticker command and the same link.
Editing and managing a sticker pack
Managing the created set does not end with publication. You can return to the bot at any time @Stickers and change the content. To add new pictures to an existing pack, use the command /addsticker. You will need to send a link to your set, and then upload new images in the same way as when creating.
If a sticker is boring or has become irrelevant, you can delete it. Team /delsticker allows you to select a set and then remove a specific image from it. This is useful if you made a mistake while downloading or decide to update the collection with more recent memes.
There is also the option to completely delete a set if it is no longer needed. The command /delpack irrevocably erases all data about the package. Be careful when using this function, as it will be impossible to recover deleted stickers.
| Bot command | Purpose | Required data |
|---|---|---|
/newpack |
Creating a new set | Pack name, files PNG |
/addsticker |
Adding to an existing pack | Link to the pack, PNG files |
/delsticker |
Removing one sticker | Link to the pack, selecting a sticker |
/editsticker |
Replacing an emoji on a sticker | Link to the pack, select a sticker |
Frequent errors and ways to solve them
Despite the simplicity of the instructions, users often encounter technical difficulties. The most common problem is the “Invalid images provided” error. This means the file does not meet size or transparency requirements. Check that the image is exactly 512 pixels on one side and not larger.
Another common situation is that the bot does not accept a file sent as “Photo”. In Telegram, there is a difference between sending a compressed media file and sending a document. Always select the “File” or “Document” option when uploading a picture to a chat with a bot to maintain the original quality and alpha channel.
Sometimes users confuse static stickers with animated ones. Animation requires a format WEBP and compliance with other technical parameters, such as the number of frames and cycle time. If you want to create an animation, it is better to use the command /newanimated, which has its own specific requirements.
The secret of animated stickers
To create animation on Android, it is convenient to use the "Telegram Sticker Maker" application, which exports a ready-made WEBP file with the necessary compression parameters.
⚠️ Attention: The bot interface and file requirements can be updated by Telegram developers. If standard commands do not work, check the latest information in the news channel of the bot itself @Stickers.
FAQ: Questions and Answers
Is it possible to make a sticker pack private so that only friends can see it?
Officially, all sticker packs in Telegram are public. Anyone with a link to your set can add it. However, you can simply not distribute the link, and then the set will remain available only to you and those to whom you personally sent it.
How many stickers can be in one set?
The maximum number of stickers in one pack is limited to 120 images. If you are planning to create a large collection, it is recommended to divide it into several thematic sets, for example, “Emotions 1”, “Emotions 2”, etc.
Is it possible to use other people's pictures to create stickers?
Technically, the bot does not check copyrights, but it is ethically and legally better to use your own photographs or images that are free from copyright. Using other people's works without permission may lead to complaints and removal of the set by moderators.
How to add stickers to an iPhone if I created them on Android?
The platform does not matter. Created on Android, the set is available on any operating system. Just send a link to the pack in the chat, open it on your iPhone and click the “Add stickers” button.
Why are stickers displayed as a white square?
This is a sure sign that the image does not have a transparent background. You saved the image in JPG or PNG format with a white background. You need to remove the background in a graphic editor and save the file again in PNG format with transparency support.