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 y'all know that you can share your favorite GIFs on Instagram posts and Stories — and ship them as DMs? Here'due south how to mail a GIF on Instagram to arrive way more fun.

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Can you lot mail service GIFs on Instagram?

Although the process isn't totally seamless, yous tin can absolutely share your favorite GIFs on Instagram with just a few actress steps. This can be accomplished by using GIPHY, which is currently the largest drove 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

Allow'southward take a expect at your options for adding a GIF to Instagram. Both require an extra step or two, just once yous get the hang of it, it'due south a breeze!

How to postal service a GIF on Instagram using GIPHY

GIPHY is a treasure trove of fun GIFs, so if you lot don't already have the GIPHY app installed on your iPhone, take intendance of that ASAP. In one case y'all've got GIPHY downloaded, here are the steps you need to take to mail service a GIF to Instagram.

  1. Open the GIPHY app on your iPhone.
  2. Scan or search for the perfect GIF on GIPHY.
  3. Tap the paper-aeroplane icon located under the GIF.
  4. Tap the Instagram button. A screen will announced asking for permission to open Instagram.
  5. Once you've given permission, your GIF volition open inside Instagram. Choose Feed to post a 15-2nd looped GIF to your Instagram feed every bit a new mail.
  6. Tap Next to add edits and/or filters to your Instagram post.
  7. Tap Next again to add together your caption and hashtags.
  8. When you've finished creating your GIF mail service, tap Share.

Upload your own GIF equally a video

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

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

There are too other GIF-maker apps that let you brand GIFs out of photos or videos, so be sure to cheque those out.

How to add together a GIF to your Instagram Story

We've covered how to add GIFs to Instagram posts, but what if you lot desire to add a GIF to your Instagram Story? Information technology's piece of cake to practise, and there are several means to get in happen.

Mail a GIF to Instagram straight from GIPHY

You can postal service to your Instagram Stories straight from GIPHY in much the same fashion you lot create Instagram posts. Hither'south 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 push button and give GIPHY permission to access your Instagram. Once you have given permission, your GIF volition open within Instagram.
  5. Choose Story to post a 15-second looped GIF to your Instagram Story.
  6. Your GIF volition appear in your Stories, where you lot 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

Some other option is to use Instagram'southward Boomerang feature to create a GIF-similar animation to share to your Stories. Here's how:

  1. Open up the Stories characteristic in Instagram by tapping on the photographic camera icon in the upper correct.
  2. Tap the Boomerang icon on the left side of the screen — it looks like a horizontal effigy eight.
  3. Position your photographic camera to brainstorm filming your Boomerang. This works best with a chip of action, then try to capture something happening (water splashing, bees buzzing, or your canis familiaris jumping).
  4. Tap the Boomerang shutter button to capture your footage.
  5. Your Boomerang GIF volition consist of ten photos stitched together, sped upwards, and looped back and along.
  6. Tap Your Stories to share.

Add together a GIF to your Instagram Story using a sticker

You can as well add together a picayune 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 well-nigh addictive mode 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 information technology will appear on top of your photo or video.
  6. Pinch your fingers to brand your GIF larger or smaller.
  7. Tap Your Stories to share to your Instagram Stories.

How to send a GIF on Instagram DM

Y'all're nigh an expert at posting GIFs on Instagram. The terminal 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 merely a few taps of the screen:

  1. Open Instagram and tap the bulletin icon in the top-correct corner.
  2. Cull the account yous want to send a DM to.
  3. Blazon your message and then tap the + icon.
  4. Tap the sticker icon.
  5. The GIFs trending on GIPHY volition appear on the screen. If you lot don't see something you like, search for your GIF in the search bar.
  6. Tap the GIF y'all want to share with your friend.

GIFs are a fun fashion 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 ship.