How to Post a GIF on Instagram from iPhone

GIFs are moving images that loop endlessly. If you want to seek attention or be funny, you can do so by sharing GIFs. They are made using a very short clip, which is usually on point or comedic in nature. So, if you want your Instagram post or your account to attract attention, you can try posting some GIFs. This is why knowing how to post a GIF on Instagram from iPhone can come in handy. You can easily share your GIFs on your Instagram Stories and posts and send them as DMs.

Can you post a GIF on Instagram?

Of course, you can upload GIFs on Instagram. However, you should know that Instagram doesn’t support GIF files. So you could use a third-party app to post GIFs to your Instagram. Or, if you want to upload your own GIF, you’d need to convert your GIF to a video file and only then post it on your Instagram. In this guide, we’re going to find out how to share or send a GIF on Instagram from iPhone.

Discover how to post a GIF on Instagram from iPhone with the help of third-party apps

As we all know, Instagram doesn’t support GIF sharing, so we need to find other ways to upload GIFs on Instagram. And there are two main approaches you can take. Apps like GIPHY and ImgPlay lets you directly share your GIF from the app to your Instagram. They have a built-in feature that converts your GIF into a video before sharing it on Instagram or any other platform.

What about your own custom GIFs? How would you share them on Instagram? For this, you’d need the other method, which includes converting your custom GIF into a video format (like .mp4). We’re going to use the GIF to Mp4 app.

How to upload a GIF to Instagram using GIPHY

GIPHY is a search engine for GIFs. Also, you can create your own GIF with this app if you want. So if you haven’t downloaded this free-to-install app from the App Store, then do so already. Here is the step-by-step instructions on how to download GIFs from GIPHY and post them on Instagram.

How to post a GIF on Instagram from iPhone using the GIPHY app 01

Launch the GIPHY app on your iPhone

Tap on the Search icon to find the GIF you’d want to share on Instagram

Next, tap on the “paper airplane” icon to open the share options

How to post a GIF on Instagram from iPhone using the GIPHY app 02

Then tap on the “Instagram” icon. A popup message appears seeking your permission to open Instagram

After you’ve given permission, your GIF will appear on Instagram. Here you’ll receive options on whether to post this GIF on your Story or Feed

Select the option that you want and follow their simple instructions

How to share a GIF on Instagram from iPhone using ImgPlay

ImgPlay is a GIF maker app for iPhone and iPad devices. In addition, it also has a search engine tool that you can use to download GIFs on your phone. Like GIPHY, you can use this app to share GIFs on Instagram or other social platforms. Here is the step-by-step process on how to post a GIF on Instagram from iPhone using ImgPlay.

Launch the ImgPlay app

Then either select a GIF or create one from your iPhone’s library, or use the “Search” icon to download GIFs

Your GIF will appear on an editing workspace, where you can make modifications if you want. Then tap “Save”

After that, on the share screen, tap on the Instagram icon and then “Share to Instagram”

You’ll receive a popup menu seeking your permission to open Instagram. Tap “Open”

You’re going to receive whether to post your GIF on your Instagram Story or Feed

Select the option you prefer and follow their instructions

How to add your own GIF as a video to an Instagram Story or post

Let’s say you know how to make GIFs for Instagram or other platforms, and you’ve made them. Or you have some GIFs on your iPhone Photos library. However, Instagram doesn’t support GIF sharing on its platform, and the only way to work around this problem is to post it in short video format. For this reason, we’re going to use the GIF to Mp4 app to convert your GIF to video for sharing on Instagram.

Open the GIF to Mp4 app

Tap on “Select GIF” to choose the GIF that you want from your iPhone library

You’ll then be shown the preview of the GIF. Tap on “Choose”

Next, tap on ‘Convert” to convert the GIF file into MP4 format

After that, tap on “Download” to add the video GIF file to your iPhone library

Or you could tap on “Share,” select “Instagram,” and then the location (Post, Story, or Message)

If you’ve selected “Download” instead of “Share,” you’d have to open the Instagram app to upload your GIF. Nonetheless, if you want to make your own GIFs, we have a blog that may interest you. And it is: How to Make a GIF from a Video on iPhone.

How to add GIF to Instagram Story with Boomerang

Boomerang is a feature of Instagram that you can use to make a GIF-type animation to post to your Stories. We’re going to find out how.

Launch the Instagram app on your iPhone and head over to the Stories section

Next, tap on the “Boomerang” icon located on the left side of the screen. It looks like infinity or horizontal eight

How to add GIF to Instagram Story with Boomerang 02

Now begin shooting your Boomerang with your iPhone camera. Once you’ve captured your footage, tap on the “Shutter” button

The Boomerang GIF that you’ve captured is basically ten pictures combined together, looped back and forth at high speed

After that, tap “Your Stories” to share your Boomerang GIF

How to add GIFs to Instagram Story using GIF Stickers

Your Instagram has a collection of GIFs and stickers of its own. In fact, you have some of the best Instagram GIF stickers in the collection because they are from GIPHY. Interestingly, Instagram and GIPHY share the same parent company called Meta.

So when you’re trying to share your photo or video Stories, you can add some flashy GIF stickers to make it look cooler. So, here’s how to add GIFs to Instagram Story by using GIF stickers.

How to add GIFs to Instagram Story using GIF stickers

Add a photo or a video to your Instagram Stories

Next, tap on the “Sticker” icon

Then tap on the search bar, which will show all the GIFs that are currently popular on GIPHY

Select the one that you like from those that are shown or look for one by typing on the search bar

After that, tap on the GIF that you want, and it will appear over your photo or video

Drag the GIF to change its location or pinch it to increase or decrease its size

Finally, tap “Your Stories” to share it on Instagram Stories

How to send GIFs on Instagram DM

You can also share your GIFs with specific individuals. So, instead of sharing with everyone on Instagram, you can DM your cool GIFs to some of your special people. Here’s how to do it.

Open the Instagram app and tap on the “Messenger” icon in the upper-right

Select the account of the person whom you’d want to send a DM

Next, type a message on the text box, and then tap on the “Plus +” icon

Then tap the “Sticker” icon. You’ll find all the latest trendy GIFs from GIPHY. If you can’t find what you like, you can look for it using the search bar

After that, tap on the GIF that you’d want to share on your DM

Want to find out how to make your own GIF on your iPhone? You can try the Screen Recorder for iPhone app.

How long can a GIF be on Instagram?

You’d have to upload your GIF as a video on Instagram. So, they should be at least 3 seconds long. However, according to GIPHY, your GIFs should not exceed 15 seconds, but the best practice is 6 seconds.

Finishing remarks

Now that you know how to post a GIF on Instagram from iPhone, your next challenge would be to find the best GIF to send. So, if you liked this guide on posting GIFs on Instagram, then the following article may interest you:

How to React to Instagram Messages with Emojis on iPhone.