WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, allowing users to easily communicate with friends, family, coworkers, and more. One fun feature of WhatsApp is the ability to send emoji stickers during chats. Emoji stickers are larger animated versions of emojis that can better express emotions or reactions. While emoji stickers can add some fun to conversations, sometimes you may want to delete them from WhatsApp. Here’s a guide on how to delete emoji stickers on both iPhone and Android devices.
Why Would You Want to Delete Emoji Stickers?
There are a few reasons why you may want to delete emoji stickers from WhatsApp:
- You’re running out of storage space on your phone and want to free up room
- You added too many packs and want to remove some unused ones
- A particular pack no longer fits your style or tastes
- You want to get rid of inappropriate or low-quality packs
- You’re giving your phone to someone else and want to clear your personal stickers
Deleting unwanted emoji stickers can be a quick and easy way to spring clean your WhatsApp and make room for new stickers you’ll actually use. The process is fast whether you have an iPhone or Android device.
How to Delete Emoji Stickers on iPhone
If you have an iPhone and want to remove emoji stickers from WhatsApp, follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the emoji icon in the text box.
- This will bring up your list of available stickers. Tap on the ‘+’ icon at the bottom.
- You will now see the list of all your installed sticker packs. Tap on the pack you want to delete.
- In the top right corner, tap on the trash can icon.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping ‘Delete’ when prompted.
And that’s it! The entire pack will be deleted. Repeat these steps for any other packs you want removed from WhatsApp on your iPhone.
Tips for iPhone Users
- You have to delete entire packs – you can’t remove individual stickers.
- Try previewing packs before deleting so you don’t lose one you want to keep.
- Deleted packs will still show up under ‘Get Stickers’ if you ever want to re-add them.
How to Delete Emoji Stickers on Android
The process is very similar for Android users who want to delete emoji stickers in WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the emoji icon when typing a message.
- Tap on the sticker icon visible at the bottom of the emoji keyboard.
- This will open your list of installed stickers. Press and hold on the pack you want to delete.
- Tap on the trash can icon at the top of the screen.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping ‘DELETE’ or ‘OK’ when prompted.
The sticker pack will now be removed from your WhatsApp on Android. Repeat for any other packs you want gone.
Tips for Android Users
- You must delete entire packs – individual stickers cannot be removed.
- Preview packs before deletion so you know exactly what you’re deleting.
- Deleted packs can be redownloaded later if you change your mind.
Tips When Deleting Emoji Stickers
Here are some useful tips when deleting emoji stickers on WhatsApp:
- Back up your WhatsApp message history first – this will save your used stickers.
- Be 100% certain of packs you want to delete – you can’t undo deletion.
- Preview packs before removing to avoid deleting the wrong one.
- Delete packs you really don’t use to free up space.
- Don’t worry about deleting packs – you can always re-download later.
How Many Emoji Stickers Can You Have on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp allows users to download an unlimited number of third-party emoji sticker packs. There is no limit to the number you can have installed at one time. However, each pack takes up storage space on your device. Most packs are around 5-20MB in size.
If you find your phone low on storage, consider deleting some rarely used packs to free up space. You can always re-download them again later if needed. Stick to your absolute favorite packs if storage space is limited.
What Happens When You Delete Emoji Stickers?
When you delete an emoji sticker pack from WhatsApp, here is what happens:
- The entire pack is removed and no longer shows up in your sticker list.
- Any stickers from that pack used previously in chats will still display.
- The stickers are not actually deleted from your device, just from WhatsApp.
- You regain the storage space the pack occupied on your phone.
- You can always re-download the same pack in the future if wanted.
So don’t worry about losing any sticker packs forever – they can easily be added back. And any stickers you’ve previously sent with them will still show in your chats.
Can You Delete Default WhatsApp Stickers?
WhatsApp comes pre-installed with a default sticker pack called ‘Stickers’. This contains basic cartoon emoji stickers. It is not possible to delete this default sticker pack. The only stickers you can remove are third-party packs downloaded later on.
Trying to delete the ‘Stickers’ pack will display an error message. Because this pack comes built-in, it cannot be removed from WhatsApp. The good news is it only takes up a small amount of storage space.
If you want to declutter your sticker list, delete any additional downloads. But the main ‘Stickers’ pack will always be there and can’t be removed.
How to Delete Emoji Stickers from Specific Chats
If you only want to delete emoji stickers from certain chats, but not entirely from WhatsApp, you can do that too. Here’s how:
- Open the WhatsApp chat where you sent the sticker.
- Tap and hold on the sticker you want to remove.
- Tap the trash can icon to delete it.
- Confirm deletion when prompted.
The sticker will be removed from that chat only. The pack will still be available in your list for use in other chats. This lets you selectively delete stickers from conversations.
How to Know if Someone Deleted Your Emoji Sticker
If someone you’re chatting with deletes an emoji sticker they previously sent you, how do you know? There are a couple ways to tell:
- You’ll see a message saying “This message was deleted.”
- The sticker will disappear from the chat history.
- Any replies you made to the now deleted sticker will not make sense out of context.
- There will be a visible gap in the conversation history.
So while WhatsApp doesn’t directly notify you of deleted stickers, the missing context and gaps in chat history make it clear when someone removes one they previously sent.
Can You Recover Deleted Emoji Stickers?
Once an emoji sticker pack has been deleted from WhatsApp, is there any way to recover it? Unfortunately, no. When you confirm deletion of a pack, it’s gone for good from WhatsApp.
However, the stickers are not actually erased from your phone’s storage immediately. That allows you time to reinstall the pack if you change your mind shortly after deleting.
Your best bet is to back up your WhatsApp history before removing packs. That preserves any frequently used stickers. You can also re-download any deleted packs later on if you really want them back.
Third-Party Apps to Recover Deleted Stickers
While WhatsApp itself doesn’t allow sticker recovery, some third-party apps claim to rescue deleted packs. Here are some options:
- iMyFone D-Back: Promises WhatsApp sticker recovery for iOS devices.
- FonePaw Android Data Recovery: Claims to restore lost stickers on Android.
- iMyFone D-Back: Provides a WhatsApp Recovery feature for Android and iOS.
However, quality and effectiveness varies across apps. Make sure to research reviews before downloading. And be cautious of apps requesting sensitive permissions or info.
Can WhatsApp Recover Deleted Stickers?
WhatsApp does not currently offer any built-in recovery options for deleted emoji stickers or sticker packs. Once you confirm deletion, that’s it – they’re gone from WhatsApp for good.
The only way WhatsApp can recover deleted stickers is if you have a previous backup of your chats that contains the stickers. Restoring from this backup would return any removed stickers.
Otherwise, your only option is to re-download any packs you deleted and want back. WhatsApp does not store copies of deleted stickers. But thankfully, you can reinstall packs if you change your mind later.
Preventing Accidental Emoji Sticker Deletion
To avoid accidentally losing special or meaningful emoji stickers, take these precautions:
- Back up your WhatsApp chats frequently to preserve sticker history.
- Double or triple check packs before deleting to avoid mistakes.
- Favorite special packs so they stand out.
- Review chat history for stickers you use often and want to keep.
- Think carefully before mass deleting packs to declutter.
Exercising some caution goes a long way in preventing regret over impulsive emoji sticker deletion down the road.
Conclusion
Emoji stickers can be easily deleted from WhatsApp by removing entire packs. On iPhone, tap the ‘+’ icon in your sticker list and select the trash icon next to each one you want gone. For Android, press and hold on packs from your sticker list and select the trash can. Read through this guide carefully to delete emoji stickers cleanly or recover lost ones where possible.
With great sticker sending power comes responsibility. Be extra careful when deleting packs and you’ll never lose your favorites. Do you have any other tips for managing WhatsApp emoji stickers? Let us know!