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How to put gifs on instagram iphone


How to post and send a GIF on Instagram from your iPhone

Officially, the acronym “GIF” stands for Graphics Interchange Format and is a way to store short animations as a series of photos in a single file. Unofficially, a GIF is a way to share your funny, snarky, or sarcastic side with your friends by using clever animations that capture moments and moods like no other. Did you know that you can share your favorite GIFs on Instagram posts and Stories — and send them as DMs? Here’s how to post a GIF on Instagram to make it way more fun.

Can you post GIFs on Instagram?

Although the process isn’t totally seamless, you can absolutely share your favorite GIFs on Instagram with just a few extra steps. This can be accomplished by using GIPHY, which is currently the largest collection of GIFs in the world, or by saving your GIF as a video before uploading it.

How to upload a GIF to your Instagram feed

Let’s take a look at your options for adding a GIF to Instagram. Both require an extra step or two, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a breeze!

How to post a GIF on Instagram using GIPHY

GIPHY is a treasure trove of fun GIFs, so if you don’t already have the GIPHY app installed on your iPhone, take care of that ASAP. Once you’ve got GIPHY downloaded, here are the steps you need to take to post a GIF to Instagram.

  1. Open the GIPHY app on your iPhone.
  2. Browse or search for the perfect GIF on GIPHY.
  3. Tap the paper-airplane icon located under the GIF.
  4. Tap the Instagram button. A screen will appear asking for permission to open Instagram.
  5. Once you’ve given permission, your GIF will open inside Instagram. Choose Feed to post a 15-second looped GIF to your Instagram feed as a new post.
  6. Tap Next to add edits and/or filters to your Instagram post.
  7. Tap Next again to add your caption and hashtags.
  8. When you’ve finished creating your GIF post, tap Share.

Upload your own GIF as a video

Technically, Instagram doesn’t support GIF files, but you can turn your GIF into a video to easily share it on Instagram. Once you download your GIF onto your phone, you will need a GIF-to-video converter app like GIF Cracker. Then simply follow these instructions:

  1. Open GIF Cracker on your iPhone and allow access to your photos.
  2. GIF Cracker will automatically show you all of the GIFs that are stored in your photo library. Choose the one you want to share.
  3. A screen will appear with video options, including playback speed, loop count, and number of frames. Adjust these to fit your needs.
  4. When you are happy with the results, tap Start Conversion.
  5. Tap Save.
  6. You will now be able to share your GIF as a video on Instagram.

There are also other GIF-maker apps that let you make GIFs out of photos or videos, so be sure to check those out.

How to add a GIF to your Instagram Story

We’ve covered how to add GIFs to Instagram posts, but what if you want to add a GIF to your Instagram Story? It’s easy to do, and there are several ways to make it happen.

Post a GIF to Instagram directly from GIPHY

You can post to your Instagram Stories directly from GIPHY in much the same way you create Instagram posts. Here’s how:

  1. Open the GIPHY app on your iPhone.
  2. Find an awesome GIF to share to your Instagram Stories.
  3. Tap on the paper airplane icon located under the GIF.
  4. Tap the Instagram button and give GIPHY permission to access your Instagram. Once you have given permission, your GIF will open inside Instagram.
  5. Choose Story to post a 15-second looped GIF to your Instagram Story.
  6. Your GIF will appear in your Stories, where you can add additional features like text, drawings, and stickers.
  7. Tap Your Stories to save your GIF to your Stories.

Make a GIF and put it on your Story with Boomerang

Another option is to use Instagram’s Boomerang feature to create a GIF-like animation to share to your Stories. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Stories feature in Instagram by tapping on the camera icon in the upper right.
  2. Tap the Boomerang icon on the left side of the screen — it looks like a horizontal figure eight.
  3. Position your camera to begin filming your Boomerang. This works best with a bit of action, so try to capture something happening (water splashing, bees buzzing, or your dog jumping).
  4. Tap the Boomerang shutter button to capture your footage.
  5. Your Boomerang GIF will consist of 10 photos stitched together, sped up, and looped back and forth.
  6. Tap Your Stories to share.

Add a GIF to your Instagram Story using a sticker

You can also add a little bling to your photo and video Stories by adding a GIF sticker, which provides all kinds of animated GIF stickers from GIPHY. This is probably the easiest and most addictive way to add GIFs to your Instagram Stories:

  1. Open your Instagram Stories and add a photo or video.
  2. Tap the sticker icon, followed by the search bar.
  3. A screen will pop up with GIFs that are trending on GIPHY.
  4. Choose a GIF from the options provided or search for a GIF in the search bar.
  5. Tap the GIF you want to use, and it will appear on top of your photo or video.
  6. Pinch your fingers to make your GIF larger or smaller.
  7. Tap Your Stories to share to your Instagram Stories.

How to send a GIF on Instagram DM

You’re almost an expert at posting GIFs on Instagram. The last thing we’re going to cover is how to share a GIF as a DM on Instagram because, let’s face it, some GIFs are only meant for your favorite people. Share your favorite GIFs with just a few taps of the screen:

  1. Open Instagram and tap the message icon in the top-right corner.
  2. Choose the account you want to send a DM to.
  3. Type your message and then tap the + icon.
  4. Tap the sticker icon.
  5. The GIFs trending on GIPHY will appear on the screen. If you don’t see something you like, search for your GIF in the search bar.
  6. Tap the GIF you want to share with your friend.

GIFs are a fun way to relate and connect with people, and we’re grateful that they’re so easy to share on Instagram. Now that you know how to do it, your only problem will be finding the perfect GIF to post or send.

This was about:
  • Instagram
  • Stories
Tara Schatz

Travel writer. Photographer. Lover of dogs and the outdoors.

How to Post GIFs to Instagram Feed and Stories

Instagram GIFs are a fun way to share what you’re feeling, get a laugh, or grab attention on your feed. Everyone from individual users and small businesses to major brands are in on the trend of these repeating video clips!

But because you can’t create GIFs directly inside Instagram, you’ll need a little help first.

This guide will cover everything you need to know to create your own GIFs using videos on your phone, how to share popular GIFs from the GIPHY app, and how to post GIFs on Instagram.

Why GIFs?

GIFs (animated images that play on a continuous loop) have been a hot topic on almost every social network for years now.

A GIF on Instagram might be used for comedy, to share shocking news, or to get a point across in a way that captures your followers’ attention. They can be simple, yet effective, ways to draw followers in and portray your page as a relevant brand.

Can You Post a GIF on Instagram?

Yes! Posting a GIF to Instagram requires a few simples steps and a third-party app.

Luckily, those steps are about to get easier, thanks to GIPHY being acquired by Facebook in May of this year!

This popular search engine is the definitive source for shareable GIFS, with a ton of integrations into your favorite platforms.

To post your GIF with GIPHY you’ll need to:

  • Download the GIPHY app
  • Sign up/ Login using Facebook
  • Search for a GIF to share
  • Tap “Share”
  • Tap the Instagram logo
  • Select Post or Stories

Below, we’ll explain these steps in detail to help you start posting your own GIFs on your Instagram!

How to Post a GIF on Instagram with the GIPHY Mobile App

1.

Download the GIPHY App to Your Phone

Before you can learn how to post GIFs to Instagram, you’ll first need to download the app. GIPHY offers both a desktop app and a mobile app for Android and iOS! 

Our favorite part: the app is free! We recommend that you start with the mobile app if you plan to share GIFs to Instagram as the desktop app doesn’t offer posting capabilities to Instagram just yet.

“We recommend that you start with the mobile app if you plan to share GIFs to Instagram.”

2. Sign Up or Log In with Facebook

Logging into Facebook makes using the GIPHY app a breeze and allows you to post GIFs to both Instagram and Facebook.

If you don’t want to login to Facebook, you can also use an email address and password to log in to the app.

3. Search for the GIF You Want to Share

Now that you’re logged in to the app, you can browse new and popular GIFs right from the home page or use keywords to search the database. Choose keywords based on your moods, activities, popular TV shows or characters, and more to get just the right GIF for every situation.

4. Tap the Share Button

Now that you’ve picked your GIF, it’s time to share. While you can upload GIFs to Instagram, you can also send them via Facebook Messenger and Facebook, Snapchat, Whatsapp, Twitter, and Messages.

Tap the “Share” button that looks like a paper plane.

You can also copy the GIF link directly or copy the GIF to paste it.

5. Tap the Instagram Icon to Upload GIF to Instagram

If you want to add a GIF to Instagram, tap the purple Instagram icon, allow access to your camera roll, and then open Instagram. It will then give you the choice to post to your Feed or to your Instagram Story.

This will save the GIF as a 15-second video square on your phone.

“If you want to add a GIF to Instagram, tap the purple Instagram icon, allow access to your camera roll, and then open Instagram. ”

6. Select Story or Feed

You have a couple of options for how to put GIFs on Instagram, including posting it to your Story or directly to your Feed. After you select where you want to post it, the steps to make it go live are the same as adding any new post on Instagram.

If you post your GIF to your Story, you can also use the GIF feature in Instagram Create Mode to create a full-screen version of a GIF (it displays in three tiles.) Finally, you can also add multiple GIF stickers to your Stories by tapping the Sticker tray!

How to Post a GIF on Instagram through GIPHY on Desktop

1. Select a GIF on giphy.com 

Make your way to the GIPHY website and search for a GIF that you want to post. Once you find it, click on the GIF to be directed to the GIF detail page. 

2. Share the GIF with Yourself

Click “Share” on the right side of the GIF and select the Instagram icon. Make sure you are logged into GIPHY, then enter your email in the pop-up box before clicking “Send”.  

3. Receive Your GIF and Download

Your GIF will be emailed to the address you inputted as an .mp4 file. You can download it from your email on your phone so that you have the file to post on the Instagram app.

4. Post Your GIF to Instagram

Now you are ready to post your GIF! Upload it to your story or feed in the Instagram mobile app just like you would any other video. 

How to Add a GIF to Your Instagram Feed in a Loop

Now that you know how to add a GIF to your Instagram, it’s time for the next question: can you post a loop on Instagram?

Yes, and it’s not difficult!

  1. First, you’ll need to save multiple versions of the same GIF on your phone.
  2. Then, tap ‘Share to Instagram’ a few times, which will create multiple 15-second clips of the GIF in your camera roll. 
  3. Open the GIF in the Instagram app and select ‘Post to Feed.’
  4. Select the 15-second GIF, tap ‘Next,’ then tap ‘Trim.’
  5. When the square with the plus sign pops up, click it to add the additional video clips to lengthen your video and create a GIF loop.

Conclusion: How to Put a GIF on Instagram with GIPHY

While you might not be able to make a GIF on Instagram, GIPHY makes it easy to find popular apps or create your own so that you can create an Instagram post on your Feed or Story.

Love using GIFs to connect with and entertain your followers? You can use Tailwind’s new Instagram Planner app to upload your custom video files and schedule posts in advance!

Save your best GIFs to your phone, and post them on the go with Tailwind Instagram Planner – now available on iOS and Android!

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Beautiful gifs on Instagram are an opportunity to add emotions to stories, make the content more vivid and varied. For example, for commercial accounts, a GIF is a good way to emphasize and stand out from other users.

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How to add gifs to Instagram stories


There are two ways to add gifs to Instagram stories: the first is as a separate element, the second is as a separate story. Let's analyze each of the options.

Gif for Instagram stories as an additional element

This is the old and familiar way to insert a gif into Instagram stories:

Make a new story.

At the top of the screen, click on the smiley sticker, then "GIF".

Choose any GIF you like and place it in the desired part of stories.

The most popular GIFs are located in the Trending section. You can also search for gifs by keywords in both English and Russian. But the issue on Instagram is sometimes different, therefore we recommend that you enter the names of gifs alternately in two languages. For example: first enter “love” into the search, and then “love”, so the probability of finding a suitable GIF increases.

GIFs can be enlarged or reduced in size, as well as flipped by clicking on the animation. If you don't like the gif, you can delete it. To do this, drag it down the screen and move it to the urn icon that appears. Instagram allows you to add any number of gifs to one story. Everything is limited only by common sense and aesthetic vision of the author of stories.

Gif on Instagram as a standalone stories

Recently, Instagram has added another option to add GIFs as standalone stories. This option is relevant when you want to place only a gif or use it as a background for text.

Go to the stories section and select Create.

Next, find "GIF" and enter the desired gif into the search.

Unfortunately, it cannot be reduced, it completely fills the stories screen. But this version of the gif can be used for a beautiful animated background. To do this, select a neutral background (ideally, so that no transitions are visible, or find a vertical GIF). Add text or other GIFs in the standard way.

How to add a gif that is not on Instagram


You can place a gif that is not in the standard list, for example, your own brand logo, using the GIPHY service. To do this, install the application on your smartphone.

Select the appropriate gif in the "Explore" section or search for the one you need. Click on the gif you like, then on the paper airplane icon.

If you want to post the gif directly to your stories or Instagram feed, click on the paper airplane, then on the Instagram icon. If as an additional element in stories, then click on the paper airplane and save it through the icon in the upper right corner.

Next, open Instagram and create a new story. Go to your camera roll and copy the GIF. Go back to stories and click "Add sticker". In this option, we recommend looking for gifs with a transparent background, so it will look more aesthetically pleasing and will not stand out from the general content. Also in GIPHY you can create and upload your own GIF, especially for commercial accounts:

Made with GIPHY

Animated stories always attract attention, but the audience reacts to them differently, it all depends on the niche of the account and subscribers. Therefore, always study the statistics of stories in order to predict user behavior and thereby increase coverage.

Ideas for using gifs in stories


GIFs must be used appropriately. Place it so that it complements the content, and does not take all the attention to itself. Therefore, we have made a small selection of ideas and beautiful GIFs on Instagram that will tell you how you can skillfully use them in your stories.

To announce a post, repost it in stories and add a GIF "New post", "Tap/Click here", "Fresh content" or just place a clicking hand. Thus, you will suggest the necessary action to the subscriber and motivate them to interact with the content. You can simply post some ready-made entries in the form of "Good morning" or, for example, "Friday". So you just convey the mood and communicate with the audience at the same time.

GIFs on Instagram can also bring photos to life by adding sparkle, snow or rain. Or supplement a photo with food or coffee with smoke / steam. This is a small element, but it adds so much charm to the photo, makes it lively and sets the mood.

Gifs on topics will add zest to an ordinary photo. For example, with the help of a GIF, you can create an effect of surprise by adding a GIF in the form of a shark to a regular photo from the sea or by placing a dinosaur in the jungle.

Conclusion


To make your stories unusual, choose interesting and beautiful GIFs on Instagram. At the same time, do not forget to observe a sense of proportion - do not add 10 gifs per story and do not use animation in each story. Do not forget about readability - animation should emphasize, focus attention, and not interfere with the study of content. For example, if you highlight a word in the text by adding a sparkle gif to it, that's good. If you highlight the entire text with glitter, it becomes unreadable, and the user is most likely to quickly flip through such stories.

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7 Cool Ways to Use GIFs in Stories

If you want to spice up your Instagram Stories, GIFs are a great way to go.

  • How to add a GIF to Instagram
  • Tip #1: Use GIFs to grab attention
  • Tip #2: Attach GIFs to Stories
  • Tip #3: Change the size and orientation of GIFs
  • Tip #4: Use GIFs to highlight
  • Tip #5: Bring your photos to life
  • Tip #6: Decorate your selfies
  • Tip #7: How to add your GIFs to your stories

on instagram. You can add funny gifs in the form of stickers to your stories!

What is a GIF on Instagram? GIFs are also a good branding tool through Instagram Stories. They will help you get more followers.

Here are 7 fun ways to use GIFs on Instagram Stories and how to upload your own GIFs to Instagram!

How to add GIFs to Instagram

Adding GIFs to Instagram Stories is easy! When you click on the add sticker icon, you will see all the options, including GIF. Select this option and you will have a huge library of hundreds of thousands of animated stickers.

Now you can choose a gif from the popular ones or use the search. When you find the perfect GIF, select it to add to your photo or video:

You can always come back here again and add more flashing, sparkling and vibrant animations to your story.

With this feature, you can make your stories more fun and interesting, and at the same time attract more subscribers.

Tip #1: Use GIFs to Grab Attention

Using GIFs in your Instagram Stories is a great way to capture the attention of your followers and highlight some story elements.

For example, you can type in the search bar the keywords "swipe-up", "link in the description", "sound", etc., and then add a GIF with a specific action for your followers.

You can also add arrows and other symbols to direct subscribers to the next story.

Many users quickly scroll through new stories on their Instagram feed, but they are more likely to stop at your story if moving stickers grab their attention.

Tip #2: Attach GIFs to Stories

Want to add an element of surprise to your story? Then you can “attach” the gif to a specific location on your video so that it does not appear immediately. This will definitely make your video more interesting.

To attach a GIF, long-press it until a slider and an Attach button appear at the bottom of the screen.

By moving the slider, you can find the place where you want to attach the GIF. When you have made your choice, all that remains is to click "Attach".

If you're unhappy with the location, you can pinch the gif again and repeat the process. This way you can choose the perfect moment at which the GIF will appear on your video. Turn on your imagination and surprise your subscribers.

Tip #3: Change the Size and Orientation of GIFs

Changing the size and orientation of GIFs will make your story more interesting. You can zoom in and out of GIFs by dragging them out with two fingers, just like with regular stickers.

For example, by increasing the GIF with snow, you can easily decorate your winter landscape:

Want to add some magic? Use glitter animation:

If the GIF is rotated the wrong way, just tap it to flip it horizontally. This way you can customize it to fit your story as much as possible.

Tip #4: Use GIFs to highlight text

To highlight text in your story, you can also use a GIF sticker to grab attention.

For example, you can add glitter to the edges of the text:

Search for the keywords "sparkle", "stars" or "highlight", and you will definitely find the perfect GIF for this.

In addition, the library also has a lot of GIFs with text. Usually these are some common phrases. You will have to search hard, but you will definitely find something interesting! The main thing is to use different keywords for your search.

Tip #5: Bring your photos to life

You can bring your photos to life by adding GIFs to them. However, remember that gifs should not distract viewers from your shots, but rather complement them.

Below you can see just such an example:

GIFs are great fun, but it's easy to overdo them. Only add GIFs that fit the story. Do not add too many of them, because they will draw all the attention from the story to themselves. Also, too many gifs will make people close your stories.

Tip #6: Decorate Your Selfies

We all love pretty selfie filters, and now you can create your own!

The GIPHY library has hundreds of GIFs with glasses, mustaches, hats, jewelry, and more. All this will make your selfie very funny:

Don't go overboard with accessories, but don't be afraid to use them from time to time. Instagram stories are a great way to show off your personality.

Tip #7: How to add your own GIFs to stories

Did you know that you can create your own GIFs for stories? This is a great way to make your brand famous and decorate stories.

Below you can see a similar example of Girlboss:

There are many different sets of GIFs, like this set for business with the keyword "garyvee":

By creating your own GIFs, you can promote your brand in a unique and interesting way through stories.

According to GIPHY, a good sticker is simple, eye-catching and fun. GIFs can be made from videos or drawn by yourself. Keep in mind that small details may be lost due to low resolution.

First you need to register on the site. The registration process is extremely simple: you just need to enter your mailbox, name, password and date of birth. After that, you can upload your gifs to the site, and then add them to Instagram Stories.

To find your gifs on Instagram later, you need an authorized profile.

Learn more