Time to Text? GIF 'em Instead (2024)

Table of Contents

What to Know Send GIFs on iOS Missing the Images Button in iOS? Send GIFs on Android Add a GIF From a Messaging App Add a GIF Using the Gboard Keyboard FAQs References

Brighten up any conversation

Lisa Mildon

Lifewire Technology Review Board Member & Quality Team Editor

Southern New Hampshire University

Lisa Mildon is a Lifewire writer and an IT professional with 30 years of experience. Her writing has appeared in Geekisphere and other publications.

lifewire's editorial guidelines

Updated on November 29, 2022

Reviewed by

Christine Baker

Reviewed byChristine Baker

Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design.

lifewire's editorial guidelines

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In This Article

Send GIFs on iOS
Missing the Images Button in iOS?
Send GIFs on Android
Frequently Asked Questions

What to Know

iOS: In Messages, choose App drawer > #images. Enter a search term and choose a GIF. Send as you would a text.
Android: In message app, tap Smiley icon. Choose a GIF or the search button to browse. Tap desired GIF, then choose Send.
Gboard Keyboard: Tap the Smiley icon. Swipe to browse GIFs, or enter a GIF search term.

This article explains how to text a GIF in iOS 10 and later, Android devices, and the Google Gboard keyboard.

Send GIFs on iOS

GIFs can help express your thoughts or reactions with hilarious visuals or sometimes they're just silly or fun ways to communicate. Texting GIFs with an iPhone (or another iOS device) couldn't be easier. Apple built a GIF feature into its Messages app, so selecting and sending the perfect GIF is a breeze.

Open the Messages app.
Tap the Write icon (square with a pencil) in the upper-right corner.
Enter the name of the person you want to message.
Tap the App drawer button (triangle) on the left side.
Tap the #images button (magnifying glass) on the bottom.
Enter your search term for a GIF.
Tap the GIF you want to send.
Tap the Send (arrow pointing up) button.

Missing the Images Button in iOS?

If you are missing the #images button in your app drawer, do the following to install:

Tap the App drawer icon (triangle).
Swipe left on the app drawer and tap the More button (…).
Tap Edit, then tap the plus sign (+) to add the #images app.

See Also
Dead By Daylight: How to Commune with Purple Glyphs

You can also download and send GIFs from third-party apps from the App Store for a wider selection of content.

Send GIFs on Android

With Android devices, you have a few options for texting GIFs. Using the built-in Messages app is very similar to iPhone's Messages. The following steps work for Android Oreo and newer (unless otherwise stated).

Add a GIF From a Messaging App

The first method works directly from your messaging app.

Open the Apps drawer (if it's not on your home screen).
Open Messages.
Tap the text bubble icon on the bottom of the screen.
Enter in the name of the person you want to text.
Select the Start button.
Select the built-in GIF button (smiley), which is located within the text entry field, by tapping it.
For Android Nougat: Tap the Smiley button, then tap the GIF button.
You'll get an option for stickers or GIFs to browse.
Or, to find a specific GIF, tap the search button.
Enter the text you desire, then swipe to find a GIF.
Tap the desired GIF.
Tap the Send button (looks like a paper airplane or triangle).

Add a GIF Using the Gboard Keyboard

If you have the Gboard keyboard by Google, there's another method to add a GIF.

Tap the smiley on the keyboard.
Swipe to browse stickers or GIFs (or enter search text for your desired GIF).
Tap to select the GIF you want.
Tap the Send button.

FAQ

How do I make a GIF on my iPhone?

making a GIF on your iPhone will require the use of a GIF-making app or website. The process, options, and ease of use will differ depending on the application.
How do I create a GIF on my Android phone?

Open the Gallery app and select all of the images you want to use for your GIF—make sure to select them in the order you want the frames to animate. Then select Create > GIF. Or open the Camera app and select Settings > Swipe Shutter > Create GIF, then swipe down and on the camera shutter button and hold to record a GIF.
How do I save a GIF on my iPhone?

Find the GIF you want to save, then press and hold on your iPhone screen until the menu appears. Select Add to Photos to save the GIF to your Camera Roll. Note that GIFs appear as static images in iOS 10 and below, but will animate in iOS 11 and newer.
How do I download a GIF on my Android phone?

Find the GIF you want to save, then press and hold on your phone's screen until a menu window appears. Then select either Save Image or Download Image to save it to your phone. Note that these commands may differ based on your Android phone model and operating system.

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FAQs

How do I reply to a text with a GIF? ›

On the GIPHY mobile app, tap on the GIF that you'd like to share. Get the GIPHY App! Tap on the Text Message button. Your GIF will automatically appear in the Message app on your iPhone or Android.

Show Me More ›

What is the time limit for GIFs? ›

The same, there is no restriction on the length of a GIF. While some platforms have ruled it. (Such as, GIPHY suggests uploading a GIF no more than 6 seconds and it won't accept a 15 seconds plus GIF.)

Why is my GIF so slow? ›

Why is my GIF speed slow? A GIF's speed changes depending on the number of frames it has. Too many and it plays slowly. You can remedy this by deleting some frames, ideally at a ratio of one per two frames.

See Details ›

What are the limitations of GIF? ›

The GIF file format only supports a palette of 256 colors, meaning images may have a low resolution or even look slightly blurry. Because they use multiple images, animated GIF files can sometimes be tricky to return to and edit.

Read The Full Story ›

How do you reply to a GIF on iPhone? ›

Send and save GIFs in Messages on iPhone

Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
Tap. at the top of the screen and add a recipient, or select an existing conversation.
Tap. ...
To search for a specific GIF, tap “Find images,” enter a keyword (like “birthday”), then tap Search.
Tap a GIF to add it to your message, then tap .

Keep Reading ›

Is texting GIFs flirting? ›

Use flirty emojis and GIFs

For example, a winking face 😘 or heart eyes 😍 emoji can add a flirtatious tone to your message. GIFs can also be a fun and playful way to express yourself and create a shared sense of humor.

Find Out More ›

What is delay time in GIFs? ›

Typically, GIFs have a frame rate of 10fps (or a 100ms delay) because they are simplified versions of a video.

Explore More ›

What is the standard GIF time? ›

Standard GIFs run between 15 and 24 frames per second. Overall, the smaller your GIF file size, the lower the quality will be.

Explore More ›

Can you change the duration of a GIF? ›

Online GIF Maker

This online utility lets you change the total playing time of an animated GIF file. You can specify the exact animation length (in seconds) and the utility will update the frame delays between frames so that the total delay equals the new duration.

Know More ›

Why are GIFs so inefficient? ›

Testing across time allows for a higher rate of compression. GIFs are an average of 5-10 times larger than an efficiently encoded MP4 video. This difference in size means that GIFs waste a large amount of bandwidth and also load at a slower rate leading to a bad user experience.

Keep Reading ›

How to improve GIF loading speed? ›

Here are some suggestions:

Optimize the GIF file. While GIF compressors may not be able to reduce the file size of your GIF enough, there are other ways to optimize the file. ...
Use lazy loading. ...
Minimize HTTP requests. ...
Use a faster hosting provider.

Feb 14, 2023

Read On ›

How fast should GIFs be? ›

The number of frames per second for a typical GIF ranges between 12 and 30fps. GIF search engines like Giphy have their own set of framerate best practices for their uploads (between 15 and 24fps, with a total of fewer than 200/100 frames in total).

Explore More ›

Are GIFs obsolete? ›

“There are indications of an overall decline in gif use,” the company said in its filing, “due to a general waning of user and content partner interest in gifs. “They have fallen out of fashion as a content form, with younger users in particular describing gifs as 'for boomers' and 'cringe'.”

Keep Reading ›

What are the downsides of GIFs? ›

Color limitations: The color palette for animated GIFs is limited to 256 colors, which can noticeably affect their quality and make them appear pixelated.

Get More Info ›

When should you not use a GIF? ›

Autoplaying GIFs. GIFs can be a lot of fun, but they can also cause big problems for people with vestibular disorders, vision disorders, and seizure disorders. Unfortunately, not all platforms and applications allow us to disable GIFs and videos from autoplaying.

See Details ›

How do I enable GIFs in text messages? ›

How to Text a GIF on iOS and Android in 2023

Open your default messaging app.
Tap the icon with an A on the left side.
Search for the #images app (usually the first option).
Select #images and choose the GIF file you want to text.

Feb 27, 2023

Keep Reading ›

How do I add a GIF to a text message on iPhone? ›

Here's how:

Open Messages, tap the Compose button. , and enter a contact or tap an existing conversation.
Tap the Plus button. , then tap the More button. ...
Tap the Search button. .
To search for a specific GIF, tap Find images, then enter a keyword, like birthday.
Tap the GIF to add it to your message.
Tap the Send button.

Jun 26, 2024

Discover More Details ›

How do you comment with a GIF? ›

When you're on a post you want to comment with a GIF, tap on the comment icon – the bubble below the image or video. In the comment field, tap on “GIF” on the right. Search for the right GIF using a keyword or select one from the suggested GIFs.

Read On ›