iOS 12 FaceTime Stickers and Shapes Guide

With the release of iOS 12, Apple introduced real-time camera effects to FaceTime, allowing users to dramatically personalize their live video calls. This guide covers the various stickers and shapes you can apply to video streams in iOS 12, explaining the built-in shape tools, integrated iMessage sticker packs, and how these visual assets dynamically track your movement during calls.

Built-in Shapes and Callouts

iOS 12 provides a dedicated "Shapes" menu within FaceTime's live effects drawer. These vectors can be placed anywhere on the screen or anchored to your face:

  • Speech and Thought Bubbles: Comic-style dialogue balloons that allow you to type custom text directly into the frame.
  • Burst and Explosion Graphics: Action-style comic bursts (resembling "POW" or "BAM" backgrounds) that emphasize reactions.
  • Directional Pointers: Arrows and directional lines used to draw attention to specific objects or details in the camera view.
  • Accent Marks: Standard graphic flourishes, including scribbles, stars, hearts, and checkmarks.

When placed near your head or face, these shapes automatically track your movements, remaining anchored as you tilt, nod, or move within the camera frame.

iMessage App Stickers

Any sticker pack installed through the iMessage App Store can be accessed directly inside an iOS 12 FaceTime call. This dramatically expands the library of visual overlays beyond Apple's defaults:

  • First-Party Apple Stickers: Native packs such as Apple's animated Activity rings, classic Mac icons, and standard emoji stamps.
  • Third-Party App Stickers: Content from third-party apps installed on your device, such as Disney, Marvel, Pokémon, or custom indie sticker packs.
  • Memoji and Animoji Stickers: Pre-rendered poses and expressions of your custom Memoji or default Animoji characters can be stamped into the live stream.

Placement and Manipulation

Once a sticker or shape is selected from the effects bar, you can manipulate it directly on the video canvas:

  • Resizing and Rotating: Use standard two-finger pinch and twist gestures to adjust the size and orientation of any shape or sticker.
  • Face-Anchoring vs. Screen-Anchoring: Dropping a sticker onto your face locks it to facial motion tracking, while dropping it onto the background leaves it in a static position relative to the camera frame.
  • Layering: Multiple stickers, text fields, and shapes can be stacked simultaneously on top of other iOS 12 effects, such as live comic book or watercolor filters.

Device Requirements

While iOS 12 supports FaceTime camera effects, live stickers and shapes require an iPhone 6s or later, iPad Pro, iPad (5th generation or later), iPad Air 2, or iPad mini 4. Devices require an Apple A9 processor or newer to handle the real-time graphic processing and facial tracking.