ChatGPT Stickers feature turns personal photos into chat stickers, TechRadar test shows

The Stickers tool is in the Images section of the ChatGPT mobile app, accessed through the main “+” menu. It appears as the first option on the template list. Users can adjust a ready-made prompt for different styles or emotions, and after generation tap “Add to chat apps” to send the stickers to WhatsApp or iMessage.

TechRadar's Eric Hal Schwartz tested the feature with a photo of his chihuahua. According to his account, the best photographic stickers preserved the dog's identifiable details, though expressions were exaggerated. Even when he wrote prompts from scratch for new stickers, ChatGPT kept the dog looking like a sillier version of herself.

The review notes that the choice of source photo matters. A photo with the subject clearly separated from the background, good light on the face, and important features fully visible works best. A dark dog against a dark couch did not work well. Users should also mention specific details they want highlighted in the prompt.

When Schwartz pushed the feature toward more cartoonish options, such as a chibi style, resemblance became looser, particularly in coloring and age, but the emotional range improved. He advises specifying one illustration style and listing the specific reactions wanted.

Schwartz acknowledged that AI-generated content can bury useful information under a mountain of disposable and often problematic images. But he argued that the best use of generative AI images may be smaller and more personal, adding fun to online chat rather than serving as a content factory.