Creating stickers on Samsung devices using AR Emoji and built-in tools

Samsung phones and tablets let you make stickers in two main ways: through AR Emoji, which turns your face into an animated character, and through the Samsung Notes app, which lets you draw or import images and convert them to stickers. AR Emoji stickers work across Messages, Keyboard, and other apps once you create them. Samsung Notes stickers stay within that app but are faster to make if you already have an image in mind.

The method you choose depends on what you want. If you want a cartoon version of yourself that moves and reacts, AR Emoji is the path. If you want to turn a photo, drawing, or screenshot into a static sticker, Samsung Notes is simpler and takes fewer steps.

Key Takeaways

  • AR Emoji creates animated stickers of your face that work in Messages and other Samsung apps, and you control the expressions and poses.
  • Samsung Notes lets you draw stickers by hand or convert existing images into stickers without needing your face in them.
  • AR Emoji stickers save to your device and sync across apps, while Samsung Notes stickers are contained within that app only.
  • Both methods are free and built into Samsung devices; you do not need to read a separate app or pay for sticker packs.

Making stickers with AR Emoji on Samsung

Open the Messages app and start a new conversation or open an existing one. Tap the emoji icon at the bottom of the keyboard, then look for the AR Emoji tab (it usually shows a smiley face with a camera symbol). Tap the plus sign or "Create" button to start a new AR Emoji character.

Point your camera at your face. The app will scan your features and create a cartoon version of you. You can adjust the hairstyle, skin tone, and facial features using the sliders that appear on screen. Once you are happy with how it looks, tap Save or Done. Your character is now stored in AR Emoji and available across your Samsung apps.

To use your AR Emoji as a sticker, go back to the AR Emoji tab in Messages and tap your character. You will see pose and expression options — tap the ones you want, and they will insert as stickers into your message. You can also access AR Emoji stickers from the Samsung Keyboard by tapping the emoji button and finding the AR Emoji section.

Creating stickers in Samsung Notes

Open Samsung Notes and create a new note. At the top of the screen, you will see a toolbar with drawing tools, text, and other options. Tap the paintbrush or pen icon to draw your sticker by hand, or tap the image icon to insert a photo or screenshot you already have saved.

If you are drawing, use the pen tool to sketch your design. Samsung Notes offers different brush sizes and colors — tap the color circle to change what you are drawing with. Once your drawing is done, select it by drawing a circle around it or tapping and holding it. A menu will appear with options including "Save as sticker" or "Create sticker." Tap that option and your drawing becomes a sticker you can reuse within Samsung Notes.

If you imported an image instead, tap and hold the image, then look for "Save as sticker" in the menu. The app will let you crop or adjust the image before saving it as a sticker. Your stickers appear in a sticker panel within Samsung Notes that you can access whenever you open the app.

Where your stickers appear and how to use them

AR Emoji stickers show up in the Messages app, the Samsung Keyboard, and some Samsung apps like Samsung Internet. Once you create an AR Emoji character, it is available system-wide on your device. You can create multiple characters if you want different stickers for different moods or occasions.

Samsung Notes stickers stay within Samsung Notes only — they do not transfer to Messages or other apps. However, you can take a screenshot of a Samsung Notes sticker and send that screenshot to others, or you can copy and paste the sticker into other Samsung apps that support image pasting.

To delete a sticker you no longer want, go back to the AR Emoji or Samsung Notes section where you created it, find the sticker, and tap the delete or trash icon. Deleting a sticker does not affect any messages you already sent that included it.

Troubleshooting stickers that do not appear or save

If AR Emoji is not showing up in your Messages app, make sure the app has permission to access your camera. Go to Settings, tap Apps, find Messages, tap Permissions, and turn on Camera. If AR Emoji still does not appear, restart your phone and try again.

If Samsung Notes stickers are not saving, check that you have enough storage space on your device. Go to Settings, tap Storage, and see how much free space you have. If you are running low, delete old photos or videos to free up room. You can also try closing Samsung Notes completely and reopening it to refresh the sticker panel.

If a sticker looks blurry or low quality after you save it, the original image or drawing may have been too small. For best results, start with a high-resolution image or draw your sticker larger on the screen before saving it.

Sending stickers to other people

AR Emoji stickers send like any other sticker in Messages — the person receiving them will see the animated sticker if they also have a Samsung device with AR Emoji support. On older Samsung phones or non-Samsung devices, the sticker may appear as a static image or animated GIF instead.

Samsung Notes stickers cannot be sent directly to other people through the app itself. To share a Samsung Notes sticker, take a screenshot of it and send the screenshot through Messages, email, or another app. The person receiving it will see it as an image, not as an interactive sticker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a photo of someone else to create an AR Emoji sticker?

AR Emoji is designed to scan your own face in real time using your device camera. You cannot upload a photo of another person to create an AR Emoji character. However, you can create a Samsung Notes sticker from any image, including photos of other people, by importing the image and saving it as a sticker.

Do I need an internet connection to create or use stickers?

No. Both AR Emoji and Samsung Notes stickers are created and stored on your device locally. You do not need Wi-Fi or mobile data to make them or use them in your messages. You only need a connection if you want to send stickers to someone else through Messages.

Can I edit a sticker after I save it?

For AR Emoji, you can edit your character by going back to the AR Emoji section and tapping your saved character, then adjusting the features again. For Samsung Notes stickers, you can open the original note, edit the drawing or image, and save it again — this will overwrite the previous sticker.

What is the size limit for Samsung Notes stickers?

Samsung Notes does not have a strict published size limit, but stickers work best when they are between 100 by 100 pixels and 512 by 512 pixels. Stickers smaller than that may look blurry; stickers much larger may slow down the app. If your sticker is not performing well, try resizing it before saving.

Can I share my AR Emoji sticker pack with friends?

AR Emoji characters are tied to your device and cannot be exported as a pack to share with others. However, when you send an AR Emoji sticker in a message to someone with a Samsung device, they can see and use that sticker in the conversation. They cannot add it to their own AR Emoji library unless they create their own character.