How to Post a GIF on Instagram – In a Post or on Your Story
By Kay FleuryUpdated on August 20, 2024
These days, you’ll see GIFs all over the Internet – on social media sites, blogs, ads, and more. Some apps like iMessage and WhatsApp have even added features so people can easily send GIFs to one another in text messages. Now, Instagram has hopped on the bandwagon with their new GIF sticker feature, and you can also share GIFs as videos on your profile.
Want to get in on the fun? We’ll show you how! Here’s what we’re going to cover in this tutorial:
So, how to you post a GIF on Instagram? Since GIFs are animated, they need to be shared as videos on your profile, rather than as regular photos. You can easily do this from the popular GIF-discovery platform called GIPHY.
How to add a GIF sticker to your Instagram story
1. Launch the Instagram app.
To begin, start up Instagram on your mobile device or tablet.
2. Tap the story icon in the top left.
Next, you’ll need to create a new post for your story. To get to the story feature, tap the camera icon at the top left corner.
3. Capture a new image or upload one from your device to post to your story.
To take a new picture for your story, tap the capture button near the bottom. If you’d like to record a video, tap and hold the capture button instead.
If you’d like to upload an image that’s saved on your device, swipe your finger upward from the bottom of your screen to access your camera roll. Then tap an image to select it.
4. Select the GIF sticker option.
Once you’ve captured or uploaded an image to post to your story, tap the sticker icon in the top right.
Here, you’ll see tons of Instagram stickers to choose from. Tap the GIF sticker button from the menu that appears toward the bottom of your screen to access the animated GIF Instagram stickers.
5. Find a GIF you’d like to add. Tap it to add it to your post.
Now you can search for the kind of animated sticker you’re looking to add to your story post. Tap the search bar and type in a word or phrase relating to the kind of image you’d like to find.
When you see an animated sticker you’d like to add to your post, tap on it to add it.
If you want, you can then repeat steps 4-5 to add any other stickers you’d like to include in your post.
6. Adjust the sticker placement, then post it to your story.
Tap and drag the sticker to wherever you’d like it to appear on your post. You can move it around with one finger, or use two fingers to pinch and adjust the size of the sticker as well. When you’re happy with how it looks, tap Send To at the bottom.
On the next page, you’ll see “Your Story” listed at the top. Tap the Share button beside “Your Story” to share the post to your Instagram story.
These six steps are all it takes to post a GIF Instagram sticker on your story. Next, we’ll show you how to make a GIF for Instagram using the Boomerang app. This app allows you to capture a short video clip and have it automatically turned into a fun animated GIF by playing the clip forwards and in reverse.
How to create your own “boomerang” GIF
1. Download and launch the Boomerang app by Instagram.
The first step is to install Boomerang on your mobile device. This app was created by Instagram to allow users to make their own fun animations. You can download the app for free from the iTunes store or Google Play Store. When you’re done installing it, launch the app to get started creating your first animation.
NOTE: Boomerang is now integrated into the Instagram app. You no longer have to download a separate app to use it.
2. Tap and hold down the circle button to capture a new “boomerang” GIF.
Now, you can capture a quick video to turn into an animation. Position your device so you can see whatever you’d like to capture through the camera on your device. Then hold the capture button to capture a boomerang.
3. Select Instagram to share the GIF to your profile.
Once you’ve captured your boomerang, you’ll be presented with the option to share it to your social media profiles. To share it to your Instagram feed, tap Instagram.
4. Choose whether you want to share it to your story or to your feed.
Now you can select whether you’d like to share the boomerang to your regular profile feed or to your story. Tap the option you’d like to use.
5. Continue sharing the image as you normally would.
Once you’ve selected where you want to share the animated boomerang you’ve created, you can go through the process of sharing as you normally would. Add filters, captions or text, and share it with your followers.
That covers everything you need to know about how to put GIFs on Instagram. Whether you’re sharing them as video posts, using fun animated stickers, or creating your own original animations, we hope this tutorial helps you with spicing up your Instagram posts! If you have any trouble accessing these features, you can contact Instagram support or check out their help site. To learn about other cool things you can do on Instagram, check out our free guides ere.