Officially, the acronym "GIF" stands for Graphics Interchange Format and is a mode to store short animations as a series of photos in a unmarried 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 similar no other. Did you know that you tin can share your favorite GIFs on Instagram posts and Stories — and send them as DMs? Here'southward how to post a GIF on Instagram to make information technology mode more fun.

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Tin you post GIFs on Instagram?

Although the procedure isn't totally seamless, you tin can absolutely share your favorite GIFs on Instagram with just a few extra steps. This can be achieved past using GIPHY, which is currently the largest drove of GIFs in the world, or past saving your GIF as a video earlier uploading it.

How to upload a GIF to your Instagram feed

Let'south take a await at your options for adding a GIF to Instagram. Both require an extra pace or ii, merely in one case you lot become the hang of information technology, it's a breeze!

How to mail a GIF on Instagram using GIPHY

GIPHY is a treasure trove of fun GIFs, then if you don't already have the GIPHY app installed on your iPhone, have care of that ASAP. One time you've got GIPHY downloaded, here are the steps you need to take to mail 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-airplane icon located nether the GIF.
  4. Tap the Instagram button. A screen will announced asking for permission to open Instagram.
  5. Once y'all've given permission, your GIF will open inside Instagram. Choose Feed to postal service 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 postal service.
  7. Tap Next again to add together 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 back up GIF files, but you can plow your GIF into a video to easily share it on Instagram. Once you lot 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 let access to your photos.
  2. GIF Cracker volition automatically show you all of the GIFs that are stored in your photo library. Choose the one you lot desire 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 yous are happy with the results, tap Start Conversion.
  5. Tap Salvage.
  6. Yous will at present exist able to share your GIF every bit a video on Instagram.

There are too other GIF-maker apps that allow you make GIFs out of photos or videos, and then be sure to check those out.

How to add a GIF to your Instagram Story

We've covered how to add together GIFs to Instagram posts, merely what if you want to add together a GIF to your Instagram Story? It'south like shooting fish in a barrel to do, and there are several ways to brand it happen.

Post a GIF to Instagram directly from GIPHY

You can post to your Instagram Stories direct from GIPHY in much the same mode you create Instagram posts. Hither'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 push button and give GIPHY permission to admission your Instagram. Once y'all 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 choice is to utilize Instagram's Boomerang feature to create a GIF-similar 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 photographic camera to begin filming your Boomerang. This works best with a bit of activeness, and so try to capture something happening (water splashing, bees buzzing, or your canis familiaris jumping).
  4. Tap the Boomerang shutter push to capture your footage.
  5. Your Boomerang GIF volition consist of 10 photos stitched together, sped up, and looped back and along.
  6. Tap Your Stories to share.

Add a GIF to your Instagram Story using a sticker

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

  1. Open up your Instagram Stories and add a photograph or video.
  2. Tap the sticker icon, followed past the search bar.
  3. A screen will pop upward 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 utilise, 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 nigh 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'southward 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 bulletin icon in the top-right corner.
  2. Cull the business relationship you want to ship 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 run into something you like, search for your GIF in the search bar.
  6. Tap the GIF you lot 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 piece of cake to share on Instagram. At present that you know how to exercise it, your just problem volition be finding the perfect GIF to postal service or send.