Spice Up Your Signals: How to Download and Create Custom Stickers

WhatsApp to Signal: A Sticker Lover’s Guide to Staying Connected

As privacy concerns rise and messaging platforms evolve, many users are migrating from WhatsApp to Signal after WhatsApp’s controversial privacy policy changes. While Signal boasts strong encryption and privacy features, its sticker selection might leave some sticker enthusiasts feeling a little empty. But fear not, there’s a vibrant sticker community ready to spice up your Signal chats! This guide will walk you through downloading pre-made stickers and even empower you to create your own personalized sticker packs.

Accessing Stickers on Signal

Before diving into the world of sticker downloads, let’s get familiar with how to access them on Signal:

Android Method

1. Open Signal > bring up a chat > Tap the emoji icon to the left of the chatbox.
2. Tap the sticker button right next to the emoji button. This will reveal the two default sticker packs.

Tapping the sticker icon will automatically swap the emoji icon for a sticker icon on the left of the chatbox. From here, you can simply tap the stickers you want to send.

iOS Method

1. Open Signal > bring up a chat > tap the sticker icon to the right of the chatbox.
2. You’ll see all the stickers you have available. Tap a sticker to send it.

Downloading Stickers from SignalStickers.com

SignalStickers.com is a free, expansive third-party collection of stickers specifically designed for Signal. Here’s how to add some sticker flair to your Signal chats:

Android Method

1. Open signalstickers.com on your browser > select a sticker pack.
2. Tap "Add to Signal" > "Install."

The app will prompt you to open Signal. Once you tap the sticker icon in Signal, the sticker pack will be automatically added to your collection.

iOS Method

1. Open signalstickers.com on your browser > select a sticker pack.
2. Tap "Add to Signal."

This will seamlessly add the chosen sticker pack to your Signal app.

Alternatively, you can dive into the stickerverse by searching for the hashtag #makeprivacystick on Twitter. This will lead you to a collection of new and popular sticker packs. Simply tap the link in a tweet featuring a sticker pack to follow the same installation steps.

Crafting Your Own Signal Stickers

For those who desire truly unique stickers, Signal allows you to create your own sticker packs. This process requires the Signal desktop client and a bit of photo editing prowess:

1. Download the Signal desktop client from the Signal website.

2. Before creating stickers, familiarize yourself with these essential requirements:

   • Non-animated stickers: Must be separate PNG or WebP files.
   • Animated stickers: Must be separate APNG files. GIFs are not supported.
   • Size limit: Each sticker must be under 300kb.
   • Animation length: Animated stickers have a maximum length of 3 seconds.
   • Sticker dimensions: Stickers are automatically resized to 512 x 512 pixels.
   • Emoji association: Each sticker must be assigned a single emoji.

3. For visually appealing stickers, aim for transparent backgrounds. Online services like remove.bg or even Photoshop can help you achieve this easily. We’ve even created a quick tutorial on removing backgrounds that you can find here.

4. Once you have created a transparent sticker .png file, it’s time for cropping and resizing. We will use the website resizeimage.net for this step (this can be done in other image editing apps & websites as well). Follow these steps:

   • Open resizeimage.net > Upload your .png image.
   • Scroll down to "Crop your image" > Select "Fixed aspect ratio" under "Selection type" > Enter "512 x 512" in the text field.
   • Tick the "Select All" button > Crop the image using the locked aspect ratio.
   • Scroll down to "Resize your image" > Check "Keep Aspect Ratio" > Enter "512×512" in the text field.
   • Leave all other settings unchanged > Click "Resize Image." You will find a link to download the resized PNG.

5. Repeat this process for each sticker in your pack. Ideally, keep images in a single folder for easy uploading later.

6. Now, it’s time to upload your freshly crafted stickers to Signal Desktop:

   • Open Signal Desktop > File > Create/Upload Sticker Pack.
   • Select your desired stickers > Next.
   • Assign emojis to each sticker (emojis act as shortcuts). Once finished, click "Next."
   • Enter a title and author for your pack > Next.
7. You’ll receive a link to your sticker pack, ready to be shared with friends on Twitter or through your preferred channels. The pack will be automatically added to your sticker collection on Signal.

With these steps, you can personalize your Signal experience and share your own sticker creations with the world! Stick with it, and you’ll be a sticker aficionado in no time.

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