Your Cheat Sheet for Posting GIFs on Instagram

GIFs are fun, digestible, and, most importantly, relatable -- which is why everybody loves them and shares them on social media so much.

Additionally, since Instagram is the top social media platform for visual content, your followers expect your brand to post more compelling content than just the photos of your company’s complimentary lunch each week.

Your audience want to feel something when they scroll through Instagram, and GIFs can forge that emotional connection with them.

Below, we’ll show you how to post a GIF on Instagram -- with a series of GIFs -- and share some of the social network’s best GIF apps.

Here’s a series of GIFs that will show you exactly how to post a GIF on Instagram:

1. Download and open GIPHY.

You can find GIPHY in the Apple and Google Play app stores.

2. Search for a GIF and tap the one you like.

3. Press the "share" button in between the heart and the three dots (it looks like a paper airplane).

It will drop down to a screen with all the platforms you can share the GIF on.

4. Press the Instagram share button.

This is where GIPHY will give you one or two notifications asking if it can access your photos and open Instagram -- hit "OK" or "Allow".

5. Choose to post the GIF to your story or feed.

6. Add a filter, a caption, and share!

The 6 Best Instagram GIF Apps

1. GIPHY

GIPHY has the world’s largest library of animated GIFs and stickers.

Free on IOS and Android

4.7/5.0 Rating

2. Giphy Cam

On Giphy Cam, you can record your own GIFs and add filters or special FX to them.

Free on IOS and Android

4.8/5.0 Rating

3. ImgPlay

Free on IOS and Android

4.7/5.0 Rating

4. GIF Maker

With GIF Maker, you can convert your photos or videos into GIFs, Boomerangs, and memes.

Free on IOS and Android

4.6/5.0 Rating

5. Momento

Momento lets you use your live photos and videos to create GIFs and stop motion videos. You can also add augmented reality, filters, music, stickers, effects, text, and zoom to them.

Free on IOS and Android

4.6/5.0 Rating

6. Songclip

Apple featured Songclip on their “New Apps We Love List” last year. And it was included for good reason. The app has a licensed music library full of modern and classic hits that you can add to their collection of GIFs or your own created GIF. But if you don’t feel like making your own GIF-music combination, you can just select and send one of their trending Songclips to your friends.

Free on IOS

4.8/5.0 Rating