iMessage apps and stickers

Best practices

Prefer providing one primary experience in your iMessage app.

Consider surfacing content from your iOS or iPadOS app.

Present essential features in the compact view.

In general, let people edit text only in the expanded view.

Create stickers that are expressive, inclusive, and versatile.

For each sticker, provide a localized alternative description.


For the complete guidance, including worked examples and illustrations, see the canonical page: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/imessage-apps-and-stickers

Apple HIG text and imagery are © Apple Inc. This page is a structured index of Apple’s canonical documentation (snapshot 2025-02-02), provided for quick reference and AI-agent consumption — it isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Apple. Read the original at developer.apple.com (opens in new tab).

Get HIG guidance in your AI

Install HIG Doctor and get expert Apple design guidance directly in Claude Code.

npx skills add raintree-technology/hig-doctor
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