Social Media

How to Post a GIF on Instagram (Feed, IG Story, DMs)?

Priyanka Tomar | Updated On September 6, 2023

If you’re a fan of Instagram GIF but have no idea how to post GIFs on IG, then look no further. In this post, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide to post gif on IG, as well as some excellent app recommendations to make the process even easier.

There are multiple ways to fit a picture on Instagram, little do you know, you can do the same with a GIF and post it on your Instagram profile.

Can You Post GIFs on Instagram?

We all know that Instagram is a popular social media platform where people can instantly share their personal videos and pictures with their followers and the entire world. However, “Can you post GIFs on IG”— is a question many people have, especially in comparison to platforms like Facebook and Twitter. 

So, to uncover the answer to this question, let us provide you with the necessary information—

GIFs (Short Animated Images) are fun, digestible, and, most importantly, relatable, which is why everyone loves them and shares them so much on social media.

Instagram, too, is indeed a great place to share GIFs, as it is the leading social media platform for visual content. What can be better than using GIFs that are highly engaging, easily digestible, and have the ability to capture attention and connect with followers instantly?

However, the fact remains that Instagram does not support GIF files for Instagram posts. Unfortunately, this means that you can’t upload gif to Instagram from your Camera Roll like you can do on Facebook or Twitter.

But you can post gif on Instagram with the help of two methods discussed in the next section.

What Are the Methods to Post a GIF on Instagram?

You can use either of the two methods to post animated content, i.e., GIF on Instagram—

Method 1: Use a GIF from Third-Party Apps

Since you can’t create GIFs using the official Instagram app, it’s necessary to use another app to create GIFs to post on Instagram. However, finding one such app can be a tough task, so here we have also listed the 5 best third-party apps that help you create Instagram GIF;

GIPHY

GIPHY is the one-stop shop for all your GIF needs. It has a convenient tool to convert any GIF into a 15-second .mp4 file. With the largest library of GIFs, you can find the precise GIF on GIPHY to convey your message or to create your own custom GIFs. Therefore, it is considered perfect for posting directly on Instagram feeds.

ImgPlay

Next is ImgPlay which can make GIFs using photos, live photos, burst photos, or videos. Basically, it lets you turn your own videos, photos, live photos and burst photos into GIFs or videos. You can also add captions to your GIFs, trim your GIFs, add filters, and merge multiple videos into one. Not just that, to create professional-level Instagram GIF—it also lets you edit its frame sectors and order, as well as control its frame speed and direction.

GIF Maker, GIF Editor

Another great app we have included in the list is GIF Maker. It has over 10 million downloads thanks to the fact that it has tons of features, such as cropping the GIF, adjusting the speed, and adding or removing certain frames in the animation.

Momento

If you want to quickly create funny GIFs to share on social media, you should definitely consider Momento. This app can take any of your Photos, Live Photos, and Videos to convert them to Instagram GIF. In fact, you can even add a creative flair to your Instagram GIF by adding text, stickers, and effects.

Songclip

Last but not least, we’ve Songclip on the list. The only reason for adding SongClip to the list is that Apple featured it in its “New Apps We Love List” last year, and it really deserved it. The app has a licensed music library full of modern and classic hits that you can add either to theirs or to your own collection of GIFs. However, if you don’t feel like creating your own Instagram GIF – music combination, it also gives you the option to select one of their trending song clips and send it to your friends.

Method 2: Convert a GIF Into a Video

You can’t use standard GIFs, but you can turn a GIF into a video to post it on your Instagram feed. To do this, you’ll need to use a free tool like “Adobe Express.” It will easily convert GIFs to .mp4 files, so you can upload your own GIFs as videos to your feed.

How to Post GIF on Instagram Post?

By now, you know the methods of how to post GIFs on IG, so let us see step by step the process of posting GIFs on Instagram’s Feed Post from your mobile/desktop via both methods —

Note: We’ve used the GIPHY app as an example in this post because it’s the only GIF maker on this list that you can use on your computer. However, if you are using a mobile, you can use others as well but make sure that the app you choose supports your respective mobile. 

How to Post GIFs on IG from GIPHY [Android/ iOS]

• Step 1: First of all, download the “GIPHY app” on your respective Android from Google Play Store or on iOS mobile from App Store.
• Step 2: Then, “Sign up on GIPHY” as you need an account on GIPHY to create GIFs.
• Step 3: Once you’ve successfully signed up to GIPHY, start searching for the “GIF” you want to post on Insta.
• Step 4: Next, click on the “Paper airplane icon” at the bottom right of the GIF.
• Step 5: As soon as you do this, a list of options appears, and from the available options, choose the “Instagram icon.”
• Step 6: After that, you have to choose where you want to post it on Instagram as you have the following 4 options; “Chat, Feed, Reel or Stories.”
• Step 7: From these options, simply tap on “Feed” and this will open your Instagram app.
• Step 8: Now, here you can “add text, stickers, or other effects” to customize the GIF.
• Step 9: In continuation, click “Next” to further “write a caption, edit the cover, tag people, or add a location.”
• Step 10: Once done, tap the “Share” button, and you’re done uploading your GIF as an Instagram Reel to your profile.

How to Post GIFs on IG from GIPHY [Desktop]

• Step 1: Open the “GIPHY website” and “log in to your account” as you need an account to do this on the desktop as well.
• Step 2: Once you’re logged in, find a “GIF you want to post.”
• Step 3: Next, simply click the “Share icon” on the right side of the GIF.
• Step 4: After that, choose the “Instagram icon,” and as you do so, a pop-up appears asking for your email address. 
• Step 5: In the asked field, enter the “Email address,” and then, on the email address you provide, GIPHY will email you a “.mp4 file of the GIF.”
• Step 6: Now, “check your email” to find the .mp4 file that GIPHY has emailed you.
• Step 7: When you find it, “download” that .mp4 file and “upload” it as your Instagram post.

How to Convert and Upload GIF as a Video using Adobe Express [Android/ iOS]

• Step 1: As mentioned, converting and uploading your own GIF as a video requires using a free tool like Adobe Express, so download and install the Adobe Express app from the “App Store or Google Play Store” on your mobile device.
• Step 2: Once the download is done, you need to “Sign up for Adobe Express account.”
• Step 3: Once you’ve signed up for Adobe Express, tap on the “Upload Your GIF” option.
• Step 4: Next, you simply need to upload your GIF, and after uploading, select “Download” to download it to your gallery.
• Step 5: Now you can post “GIF converted to video” directly to your Instagram feed.

How to Convert and Upload GIF as a Video using Adobe Express [Desktop]

• Step 1: Open “Adobe Express” on your desktop and make sure you have “signed up” for an account on it.
• Step 2: Then, on Adobe Express, click on the “Upload your GIF” option.
• Step 3: After that, you need to “Upload the GIF” to the tool.
• Step 4: Once you’ve uploaded your GIF, select “Download” to download it on your computer.
• Step 5: Now, you can “Upload the GIF as a video” from your computer— directly to your Instagram feed.

Now that you know how to post gif to Instagram, it’s time to see how to share GIFs on your Instagram Story—

How to Post GIF on Instagram Story?

If you are wondering how to post a gif on Instagram story, then let us tell you that you can do it in the following three ways—

Use the GIF Feature within Instagram

• Step 1: Go to “Instagram” on your respective device.
• Step 2: Then, you need to “Upload Content” from your gallery or you can instantly take a photo of something to “add it to your Instagram story.
• Step 3: After that, tap on the “Sticker icon”, located in the upper right menu.

  

• Step 4: As soon as you do that, the full list of stickers will appear on the screen and you need to select the “Instagram GIF” feature from those stickers.

  

• Step 5: After that, the menu will show “Trending GIFs” for you to choose any one. However, you can also search for a specific GIF if you want.
• Step 6: Once you find the GIF of your choice, tap on it to “add the Instagram GIF to your Story.”
• Step 7: In the next step, if you want, you can “change background color of your story” and “add text, images, doodles, or other effects” to the GIF.
• Step 8: Now, when you’re done with customizing the GIF, just click “Next” to publish!

Upload a GIF from Your Phone Gallery

• Step 1: Go to “Instagram” and open “Instagram Stories.”
• Step 2: Then, “add a GIF to your IG Story” by finding it in your phone gallery and tapping it. Doing so will insert the GIF into your Instagram Story.
• Step 3: Now, you can “add text, stickers, and other effects” before publishing a story with an Instagram GIF.

Post GIF from GIPHY

• Step 1: Open the “GIPHY app/website” and from it, select a “GIF” you want to post.
• Step 2: Then, tap the “Paper airplane icon” to open the options where you want to share the selected GIF.
• Step 3: Next, select “Stories” from the options to post the GIF on your Instagram Stories. As you do so, this will open up your Instagram app
• Step 4: There, you can “add text, stickers, or other effects” in order to customize the GIF.
• Step 6: Now, when you’re done, tap on “Next” to share your GIF on Instagram Stories. So, this is how to post a gif on IG story.

How to Upload and Send a GIF on Instagram DM?

Regarding how to add gifs on ig, let us also tell you that you can also upload and send GIFs in Instagram Direct Messages (DMs). To do this, you need to execute the given steps—

• Step 1: Go to “Instagram” on your respective device and open “Chat” with the person or group you want to send the GIF.
• Step 2: Then, tap on the “Sticker icon” which is within the message text box.

  

• Step 3: Next, you need to choose the “GIF icon” from the sticker options, located in the lower right corner.
• Step 4: After that, you can scroll down to find “Trending GIFs” or if you prefer, you can also use the search function to find one of your choices.
• Step 5: Now, tap on the selected “GIF” to automatically send it to the chat.

Bottom Line

That is all about how to upload gif to Instagram! Posting hilarious GIFs on your Instagram Post, stories, and DMs can indeed be a great way to engage viewers and get more likes, comments, and followers. But because Instagram doesn’t directly support posting GIF files, hopefully, this post has guided you well on alternative ways to share GIFs on Instagram, including Stories, Feed posts, and DMs. So, either with the help of a third-party app like GIPHY (you can also use any of the other apps listed above) or by converting GIFs to videos, you’ll be able to post GIFs on Insta with ease from now on.

Also Read: Anonymous Instagram Story Viewer: How to View Instagram Stories Anonymously

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