How to add & send GIFs in text messages [any device]

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When you learn how to add GIF to text, you become able to express emotions, reactions, or ideas better than text alone. GIFs are short, often humorous animations that let you say more with less. 

The best part is that you can send GIFs using any device. Whether you’re using an iPhone or Android phone, adding them to your text messages is pretty straightforward.

In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at how to add GIF to a text from any device and show you where to find the best GIFs.

We’ll cover the following topics:

• How to add a GIF on iPhone
• How to add a GIF on Android
• How to send GIFs with Omnisend

How to add a GIF on iPhone

Apple has made sending GIFs relatively easy through iMessage. It allows you to access and send GIFs directly within the app. You don’t need to download third-party keyboards. 

Here’s how to add GIF to text on an iPhone:

1. Using the messages app (iMessage)

The default Messages app on your iPhone (iMessage) comes with a built-in GIF feature. Here’s how to add GIF to a text message using iMessage:

1. Open the messages app
2. Choose an existing conversation or start a new one
3. Tap the + icon next to the text box
4. Look for the red magnifying glass with the word Images (the GIF search tool)
5. Tap it, and you’ll see a list of trending GIFs 
6. Scroll through these or use the search bar to find a specific GIF
7. Once you find the GIF you want, simply tap it, and it’ll be automatically added to your message
8. Tap the send button to share it with your contact

Here’s an image illustrating where to find GIFs on your iPhone’s messaging app:

2. Using a third-party keyboard (e.g., GIPHY)

If you want a wider selection of GIFs or want to use a different interface, you can install a third-party GIF app like GIPHY. It offers a more comprehensive search function than the default iMessage app. 

Here’s how to add GIF to text using GIPHY:

1. Go to the App Store, search for GIPHY, and install it on your iPhone
2. Navigate to Settings and provide full access to the GIPHY keyboard
3. Open a new message or an existing conversation on your preferred messaging app
4. Tap on the text field and select the globe icon to switch to the GIPHY keyboard
5. Search for the GIF you want to send using the search bar or browse through the categories
6. Tap your GIF selection and insert it into your message
7. Press send 

Here’s how GIFs will appear on your iPhone when using GIPHY:

How to add a GIF on Android

If you’re not an iPhone user, you might wonder, “How do I add a GIF to a text on Android?” Well, if you’re an Android user, you’ve got a couple of options to add and send GIFs in text messages. 

Let’s take a look at a few:

1. Using the default messaging app

Most Android phones, such as Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel, have the GIF function integrated right into their default messaging apps. If you haven’t explored it yet, here’s how to get started:

1. Open your device’s default messaging app
2. Tap on an existing conversation or start a new one
3. In the text input field, look for the emoji icon or smiley face, which is usually located next to the keyboard or on top of it
4. Once the emoji panel opens, tap on the GIF tab
5. Scroll through the available GIFs or type a keyword in the search bar to find a specific one
6. Once you find your favorite GIF, tap on it, and it’ll automatically appear in your message field
7. Hit send, and your animated message will be on its way to your contact

This is how your messaging app should appear:

2. Using a third-party keyboard (e.g., Gboard)

If the default messaging app on your Android doesn’t have a built-in GIF option or if you prefer more customization, you can use a third-party keyboard like Gboard. 

Here’s how to add GIF to a text on Android using Gboard:

1. Download Gboard from the Google Play Store
2. Open your messaging app
3. Start a new message or go to an existing conversation
4. Tap the emoji icon located in the bottom left or right corner of the keyboard to open the emoji and GIF menu
5. Tap the GIF button to open the search bar
6. Browse through trending GIFs or type in keywords to search for the perfect GIF
7. Once you find the ideal GIF, tap it to add it to your message
8. Press send

Below is an image showing how GIFs will appear on your Gboard:

3. Using a GIF app (e.g., GIPHY)

If you love using GIFs regularly or want a more extensive collection, downloading a dedicated GIF app like GIPHY is ideal.

Here’s how to add an animated GIF to a text message using GIPHY:

1. Head to the Google Play Store
2. Download, install, and launch the GIPHY app
3. Use the search bar at the top to find popular or specific GIFs
4. Once you find the GIF you want, tap on it to open it in full view
5. Tap the share button (usually located at the bottom or side of the screen)
6. Select the messaging app you want to send the GIF through (e.g., Google Messages, WhatsApp)
7. Choose the contact you want to send the GIF to
8. Hit send

Here’s what GIPHY looks like on Android devices:

Where to find GIFs to text?

Besides the two apps mentioned above, there are other places you can find GIFs, including: 

GIPHY

GIPHY is one of the best platforms for sending GIFs in a text message. The site has a large database of more than one million GIFs that have been indexed to make them easy to find. Most of the GIFs have also been pre-sized for quick insertion into text messages and social media. 

What’s more, GIPHY allows you to access stickers, video clips, memes, and other forms of short visual content to complement your GIFs. It’s a versatile tool for self-expression in messages. 

It enables you to find content that perfectly fits the tone, style, and context of your conversations. Below are some of the GIFs the platform displays:

Tenor

Tenor is a GIF platform that allows you to add emotion to your conversations and personalize your text messages. Besides the millions of GIFs and videos available on the site, Tenor also allows you to create your own GIFs and stickers to express what you’re trying to say.

Tenor even offers a GIF keyboard that you can install on your smartphone to add GIFs to your messages. 

How to send GIFs with Omnisend

While GIFs are a nice way to communicate with your friends and family, you can also add them to your marketing messages when engaging your customers. GIFs allow you to add a light touch to your MMS marketing and show your personality. 

This section is for marketers who want to learn how to text a GIF. We’ll show you how to use Omnisend to send GIFs when engaging your customers through SMS or MMS marketing. 

With five-star reviews on Shopify, Omnisend is the best tool for ecommerce marketers who want to automate their sales processes and engage their customers with highly relevant personalized messages. Omnisend helped Divatress truly embrace SMS marketing. The brand was able to generate 70k SMS subscribers in just eight months with exceptional ROI. 

You can also leverage Omnisend to include a GIF in your SMS in a few simple steps. Here’s how to add GIF to text using Omnisend:

• Write the text message
• Add a GIF to the text message
• Choose recipients
• Estimate sending costs
• Save the campaign and send

To get started, you’ll need to create a free Omnisend account for your SMS campaigns.

Next, go to Campaigns > Create SMS:

1. Write the text message

To get started, name your campaign, add the sender’s name, and write the message:

2. Add a GIF to the text message

Click the Select file button and choose a GIF for your text message:

Add a GIF from your computer or upload it from a URL. Omnisend also provides an image and GIF library for your convenience.

The uploaded GIF will be added to your image library. Select the file you want to be displayed in the preview of the message:

You can see the selected GIF along with the text in the preview. You can then go to the next step to add the recipients:

Once you’re done, click Next.

3. Choose the recipients

Indicate the subscribers who’ll receive the message. You can send the text message to all contacts or to specific segments:

4. Estimate sending costs

The next step is to determine the sending costs by using Omnisend’s text message length calculator. All you have to do is copy-paste the text message in the Message input field, choose the destination country, and add the number of contacts to calculate the cost of the campaign.

5. Save the campaign and send

With everything set, save your campaign and send it to your recipients. The full-size GIF will be displayed when the recipient opens the message. 

FAQ

1. Does sending GIFs use data?

It depends, but your operator will charge you a standard fee for an MMS message. 

2. Are GIFs free to use?

Yes, GIFs are free. Under fair use principles, it costs nothing to create and use GIFs in your marketing campaigns.

3. Why is my GIF not playing?

If your GIF isn’t playing, it could be because the file is too large. Use a resizing tool to reduce the size of your GIF, and it should start playing or looping.