Are WhatsApp Stickers Gone on iPhone After Update? Here’s How You Might Restore Them

Why Did iPhone’s WhatsApp Stickers Vanish? This Terrible Bug Could Be the Reason.

Your iPhone’s WhatsApp stickers may have disappeared following a recent update to the messaging application. Numerous users have reported that their collections of saved and favorited stickers have vanished, and this guide explains the situation and provides steps you can take.

A Widespread Sticker Disappearance

Many people who use WhatsApp on an iPhone are reporting a sudden issue. Their sticker collections, built over months or even years, are suddenly empty. This problem appears connected to one of the latest software updates for the app. Users have taken to public forums like Reddit and X to share their experiences, confirming the issue affects a wide range of devices, from the iPhone 13 to the newest iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The core of the problem is that the “Favorites” tab for stickers, where users store their most-used images, is now blank for many. One person shared that every sticker they had saved over the past two years was gone, except for a few very old ones. Another described the disappointment of waking up to find a completely empty collection, including custom stickers made for friends and family. The loss is not just about the images themselves; it is about the personal value and memories attached to them. This has caused significant concern among those affected as they search for a way to bring their collections back.

Additional Technical Glitches

The issue extends beyond simply missing stickers. Some users are encountering new and unusual bugs when they try to fix the problem themselves. This suggests the update may have caused deeper instability within the app’s code.

The Cloning Bug

A strange glitch occurs when some users try to re-add a sticker to their favorites. Instead of saving a single sticker, the app creates numerous duplicates. The sticker may appear ten or twenty times in the favorites list.

Deletion Fails

When users attempt to remove these unwanted duplicates, the deletions do not stick. After closing and reopening WhatsApp, the cloned stickers reappear, filling up the favorites tab again.

Cross-Device Inconsistency

A few people noted that their stickers were initially still visible on the WhatsApp desktop application after disappearing from their iPhones. However, this was only temporary. A subsequent update to the desktop app often caused the stickers to vanish from there as well, pointing to a potential problem with how WhatsApp synchronizes data between devices.

Interestingly, this bug does not impact every single user. Some individuals, particularly those with smaller sticker collections, have reported that their favorites are still intact after the update. This inconsistency suggests the problem might be triggered by specific conditions, such as the size of a user’s sticker library or other account-specific data.

What You Can Do About the Missing Stickers

While WhatsApp has not yet made an official public statement, the volume of reports indicates the company is likely aware of the issue. When a software problem like this occurs, developers typically work to release a patch, or a small update, to fix it. Here are some advisory steps you can take in the meantime.

Check for a New Update

The first and simplest step is to visit the App Store on your iPhone. Search for WhatsApp and see if another new update is available. Developers often release fixes quickly once a major bug is identified.

Avoid Reinstalling the App

It may be tempting to delete and reinstall WhatsApp, but this is not recommended. Reinstalling the app could lead to permanent data loss if your chat history is not properly backed up to iCloud. It is better to wait for an official fix.

Back Up Your Chat History

To protect your messages, it is always a good idea to have a current backup. You can do this by going to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and tapping Back Up Now. While this backup saves your conversations, it may not restore the “Favorites” sticker index itself, but it ensures your message history is safe.

Report the Bug to WhatsApp

You can help developers solve the problem faster by reporting it directly. Inside the app, navigate to Settings > Help > Contact Us. Describe the issue clearly. The more users report a specific bug, the higher the priority it receives.

Why Software Updates Can Cause Problems

Software applications like WhatsApp are incredibly complex, built from millions of lines of code. Think of it like a massive digital building. When developers release an update, they are adding a new room or renovating an existing one. Most of the time, this process goes smoothly.

However, sometimes an update can unintentionally interfere with an older part of the building’s structure. A wire might get disconnected, or a doorway might be blocked. In software terms, the new code might conflict with the old code that manages sticker data. This can make the data seem like it has disappeared, even though it may still be stored on your phone, just in a way the app can no longer read. Developers must then find the source of this conflict and release another update to repair it. Your stickers are likely not gone forever but are temporarily inaccessible until a patch is released.