What you can build for Messages
Apple Messages supports two related things: sticker packs and full iMessage apps. A sticker pack is exactly what it sounds like — a set of images users drop into conversations. An iMessage app is a richer extension that runs inside Messages and can send interactive, updatable content between people in a chat.
iMessage apps can ship as an extension bundled with your main iOS app, or as a standalone Messages app for something that only lives in conversations. The right form depends on whether Messages is a feature of a bigger product or the product itself.
- Static and animated sticker packs, including from your own brand artwork
- Interactive iMessage apps that send and update content in a chat
- Extensions bundled with an existing iOS app to add a Messages presence
- Standalone Messages-only apps with no separate main app
- Games and collaborative experiences played inside a conversation
What to know before you build one
Messages extensions have real constraints. They run in a limited space inside the Messages UI, have tighter memory and layout limits than a full app, and can't do everything a standalone app can. Designing within those bounds from the start avoids disappointment later.
Distribution also has its own path: iMessage apps and sticker packs appear in the App Store's Messages section, and a sticker-only pack can be built and submitted without writing custom code. We'll help you pick the simplest form that meets your goal.
- Compact and expanded presentation modes within the Messages window
- Memory and layout limits that shape what an extension can do
- Sticker-only packs that need no custom code to ship
- App Store review and the dedicated Messages app category
- Artwork prepared at the right sizes and formats for stickers
- Deciding between a bundled extension and a standalone Messages app
More on ios apps
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a full app to have stickers or an iMessage app?
No. A sticker pack can be a standalone product with no accompanying main app, and it can be built without custom code. An iMessage app can also stand alone. You only bundle a Messages extension with a main app when Messages is one feature of a larger product.
Can an iMessage app do everything a normal app can?
No, and that's by design. Messages extensions run in a constrained environment with tighter memory and space limits and a narrower set of capabilities than a full app. Plenty of useful things fit within those limits — the key is designing for them from the start rather than trying to cram a full app into Messages.
Would stickers actually help my brand?
They can, if your audience uses Messages and the artwork is something people genuinely want to send. Stickers work as lightweight brand presence, not as a growth engine on their own. We can give you a candid take on whether it's worth it for your brand in a free consultation.